Yoshino Laboratory develops foods using local ingredients.
On this day, we conducted a taste survey for prototype samples.

There were two prototypes: one was “Hotogi,” a traditional sweet eaten during the Doll Festival in the northern part of the prefecture.
Several flavors were developed based on the concept of “enjoyable while riding the local Geibi Line!”
The other was a fried fish paste product called “Gansu.”
It uses catfish raised in aquaponics (a system combining aquaculture and hydroponics)!

Figure 1. The upper right is a “hotogi.” The one being fried is a “gansu.”

The survey was conducted during an event called “Everyone’s Cafeteria.”
Tasters commented things like, “Isn’t chocolate flavor heresy?” and “The curry flavor is delicious!”

Figure 2. Ueda (left) and Ishii (right), who worked on this development