【I've been on a factory tour】 Takayama confectionery's discourse till "Kakimochi" is made

Located in Ikoma-city, Northern part of Nara PrefectureTakayama confectionery"Koromochi" familiar with the name "Koromichi" etc. has been manufactured for many years. Especially in the Kansai area, there are many people who have heard the name of Takayama's confectionery, but this time it was decided to show me the inside of the factory, so how to make "Kakimoki" I saw what is being done and what kind of secret is there.

Factory tour · Takayama confectionery "Kakimochi" until you can - YouTube


Taste of handmade Takayama Kakechi
http://www.takayamaseika.co.jp/


◆ Takayama Confectionary "Kakimochi"
"Kakimochi" which was named after "making (peeling off)" the surface of "rice cake" is the nickname of the okaki made from glutinous rice as its name suggests.


Speaking of Takayama's confectionery, it is one of the products that is not an exaggeration to say, this "helmet". It seasoned vegetables baked plump into salad flavor, but I can not explain it well, but it is sure to know that something has a different flavor than anyone who has eaten even once.


It is a terrible killer menu (unique taste not elsewhere) that makes you eat as much as you like, thanks to exquisite salty and savory flavors.


There are many people who like "bean-kaki" with beans in jam.


Slightly strongly salt-tasted flavor, it is impressive dish which makes the flavor of beans more moderate. There are many other clippings available, but at the company it is said that everything is manufactured at its own factory.


◆ Infiltrate the factory
So, I came to a factory where shrimp was made.


When entering the factory from the entrance facing the road ... ...


There was a direct sales office that sells cookies. I will come out later, but even at weekdays around noon time it will be crowded with people who come to buy ... ....


A service tea or water server is placed in front of the direct sales office, so that you can drink freely.


It is like this inside the direct sales office. At the end of the wall, sample tasting that can taste freely is placed besides the sample of the product.


Production lines are lined just beside the direct sales office, but here are all the machines in the final "baking" process. First of all, I will go to a factory that is making "rice cake" which is a source of jealousy in a place that is a little far away.


Arrived at the Mochitsuki factory in about 2 minutes on foot.


When opening the door, glutinous rice which is raw material was placed.


◆ Rice cake process
Glutinous rice is first stored in a large tank. Under the tank there is a machine to clean the glutinous rice automatically, and the washed glutinous rice is sent to the next tank through the tube.


In the second tank, prepare for steaming glutinous rice in water before manufacturing. The tank on the left is a tank to soak in water, glutinous rice which has absorbed enough water again goes through the tube to the next machine.


In this machine, the rice glutinous with water is minced with a roller. By doing so, the glutinous rice will be steamed uniformly.


The finely crushed glutinous rice is poured from the top of a brown steamer with a height of 5 meters or more. As glutinous rice is designed to unilaterally flow from top to bottom, it is said that continuous production is possible.


The glutinous rice steamed in this way is sputtered from the bottom of the steaming machine and is carried on a belt conveyor. Shoe shoe and steam are always spurting around.


At the end of the belt conveyor, the two "aircrafts" kept glutinous rice without fail, making cloth of "kakimochi".


The machine is designed with two sets of mortar and pestle arranged side by side, and the rice cake is made to flow from left to right. It seems that rice cakes tend to overflow from the mortar when looking at it, but it seemed quite wonderful how it flowed to the next.


Rice cake raised is thrown into the mixer immediately beside, depending on the menu to produce, "glutinous rice" which gives a unique texture is introduced, sesame seaweed, shrimp etc. are seasoned To do.


This is where glutinous rice is being introduced.


Lift the rice with the hand finished and set it on the next machine. I asked a solid question, "Is not it hot?", He said, "It is hot but it is not that hot after mixing."


This machine is to put the end of the mix in a special mold. The weighing machine is built in under the table where the round formwork is placed, and the next formwork is automatically sent when the weight becomes constant.


The formwork filled with mochi is lifted by the machine ... ...


It will be accumulated one after another.


Every time one stacked it was flattening the surface with the hands of a person.


What I was making at this time is cloth which is mixed with sesame, it seems to be used for commodity "country baked".


Apart from sesame, such shrimps and ... ...


Blue sky etc. are also kneaded into the fabric at this stage.


The rice in this way is cooled and solidified in the refrigerator and prepared for the next cutting process. In addition, there are two types of forms, which are circular and square shaped like the above.


◆ Cutting process
I will thinly cut this cloth that has cooled down and uses this machine.


In the machine, a knife like a carpenter 's "Kanna" is moving, slicing the fabrics set on the base one after another.


Rice cake set on the other side of the photo is sliced ​​thinly, extruded sideways with the foremost arm, and it is cut to the size of "Kakimochi" with a rotating knife.


Finally received with a tray, the cut is completed. Next is the process of "drying".


◆ Drying process
There are many huge dryers in the factory. Drying is carried out while looped infinitely looped on the cut sticky cloth with a gruel.


A gas burner is installed in the dryer, and by sending the heated air inside, it is a mechanism to dry the fabric with heat.


In order to dry with heat, when you hold your hand over the flowing fabric, you will feel a warm feeling. When this process is over, it is finally a process of "baking".


In this factory, there is also a drying cabinet for drying without using warm air. Just saying that it is a mechanism to dry the air in the same mechanism that absorbs moisture when putting in the air conditioner, and to fly moisture of the dough.


◆ baking process
The baking process is done in a building with a direct sales office. In the immediate vicinity of the direct sales department, you can see the freshly baked goods baked up.


Starting point of the baking process. The mochi which the drying is finished is put in a bucket.


Takayama confectionary president Tsuyoshi Saya, "This is a crispy fabric" and the factory was brought in hand with the fabric in hand.


What I have in hand is the fabric of a product called "Hourai".


This "Horai" and "Koromichi" are made thicker than other products unlike other products. In ordinary kettles, we can not burn this thick fabric well, so we are using a special combination of shuttle. It will appear after this.


When the fabric is thrown into the machine, arrange the dough beautifully using vibration and rotation of the brush.


The fabric is first to the preheating kettle. This kettle is a common gas kettle, and hot air blows out quickly as you open the door.


And the second kettle has become a hook with a special mechanism. Unlike the first kettle, it is very unexpected that I do not feel a little fever even when approaching.


It is supposed to be that, in this kettle it is heating the interior evenly by causing the cloth itself to generate heat with electromagnetic waves without using a fire. This system seems to be basically the same as microwave oven. In ordinary gas kettles, since fire does not pass through to inside, "Koromochi" or "Horai" which has twice the normal thickness can not be manufactured without this machine.


The fabric heated by the huge "microwave oven" goes into the "third kettle" using gas. This kettle is the same kettle as usual, and by giving heat at the end, it produces a color taste and a crisp tooth touch.


◆ Seasoning process
Finally, it reached the stage where the taste such as "Koromichi" is given. Baked clams are sent to the seasoning machine.


And thrown into the seasoning basket ... ...


I was soaked in a tank for seasoning as it was in the basket. A good fragrance comes at this time.


In the tank there was a seasoning liquid that mixed salad oil, salt, and other ingredients of "trade secret". The baked clams were seasoned by being soaked twice in this tank.


The seasoning will slowly flow and will proceed to the last packing process.


Here, I came across opportunities to be able to eat the rice cake of Hoya Joya. Warm harvest was crispy but it was a little different from the taste I always used to eating. The reason is that, "The rice cake is made after it has been completed for about two days, it will not be the original taste." It seems that it takes a certain amount of time to adapt the taste of the soaked seasoning to the whole.


◆ Packaging process
The cooked cookie is sent to the shipping packaging process. Takayama confectionery's potatoes can be roughly divided into two types, "Individual packaging" packed in bags one by one and "bulky" filled with one bag, but this machine is "individual Packaging "to do.


Vehicles sorted by rows of people are sent on a conveyor ......


I was wrapped in a film and came out of the machine in a separated state. After that we pack this in a box and say "completion of individual packaging".


On the other hand, this machine is for finishing products other than individual packaging, such as "bulky", "bagged", "refilling". We can see the equipment which is high on the ceiling of the room.


The mouth which was thrown in from the right side ...


It is lifted up on a conveyor and flows into a machine with a radial shape.


This is a machine that can perform bag filling with high precision by computer control. The 10 baskets have been designed to flow randomly, but the computer will instantly bring out the combination that is closest to the prescribed weight, so that only the necessary amount is dropped into the underlying bag I will.


Accept the clippings that fell down from the top with bags ......


Another person crimped the bottom of the bag with heat and sealed.


Then complete the bag with cardboard. After that we just have to wait for shipment.


◆ When you return to the direct sales office
After finishing the interview, looking at the direct sales office, many customers came shopping. Although it is a daytime on weekdays, it is a little surprising to the sight that is entering and leaving without fail.


When I looked at the shelf, the items in the bag I saw at the factory were lined up and it felt somehow a magical feeling.


Takayama confectionery factory tour ended like this. It was quite interesting to see the scenery where familiar things and things to eat are made, so if you have the opportunity you would like to see various factories.


Takayama confectionery can also be ordered from the following site.

Taste of handmade Takayama Kakido Product purchase
http://www.takayamaseika.co.jp/purchase.html