[Fukushima Prefecture] That taste that once disappeared is back! The miracle of soul food “Koten” that connects people

One of Fukushima's most popular products is ``Koten''.

Frozen tempura, which was extremely popular as a satisfying snack, suddenly disappeared from the market in 2019. However, in response to people's wishes for a revival, one company took on the challenge of bringing back that flavor. In this article, we will introduce Hyoten, which has made such a miraculous comeback. Please watch till the end.

What is Fukushima prefecture's soul food "Koten"?

The sweet smell wafts along with the light sound of fried food. What he hands me is ``Kyoten'', which is golden brown, plump, and warm. When you stuff your mouth with a freshly fried donut, the first thing you'll notice is the fluffy and sweet donut dough wrapped in a crunchy surface. In addition, the smooth and fragrant frozen mochi is wrapped around it, giving you a chewy texture.

Freezing tempura has long been loved as Fukushima's soul food, as even just one serving will fill your heart and stomach.

Frozen mochi used for frozen tempura was originally a preserved food. It has continued to be produced mainly in the Abukuma Highlands area. It is made by taking advantage of the harsh winter cold and wind to freeze and dry rice cakes that are hung under the eaves and harden them into solid pieces, allowing them to be stored for a very long time. Oyamabokuchi leaves (locally called ``gonboppa'') are used as a binder for the mochi, giving it a bright green color.

The standard way to eat frozen mochi was to soak it in water overnight and then grill it with sweet soy sauce. The product ``Koten'' was developed by arranging these local foods so that everyone from children to the elderly can easily enjoy them. As the popularity of local food continues to grow, it can be said that many people learned about the deliciousness of frozen mochi for the first time through frozen tempura.

The story of the miraculous revival of “Frozen”, which once disappeared.

Kōten is a confectionery manufactured and sold by a mochi confectionery shop in Minamisoma City.

Froten is a collaboration between donuts and frozen mochi that seems unbalanced at first glance, but has been successfully created with an exquisite balance. Its unexpectedness and deliciousness were featured on the TV program ``Secret Kenmin SHOW'', and it quickly became known throughout the country. They have opened sales outlets and sales channels both within and outside the prefecture, and the store is so popular that people are flocking to buy it for tea, as snacks, and as souvenirs.

However, business performance deteriorated due to reputational damage caused by the 2011 TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. In 2019, the mochi confectionery shop declared bankruptcy, and Froten disappeared from the market.

The news that ``I can't enjoy Frozen anymore'' came as a big shock to Frozen fans both inside and outside of Fukushima Prefecture.

Meanwhile, a company headquartered in Fukushima City that operates mail-order cosmetics businesses has started working to revive Frozen. After winning the patent and trademark for Froten and learning the manufacturing method, he set his sights on ``bringing back that flavor.'' In this way, the taste of Fukushima, which once disappeared, was revived in September 2020 at a franchise store in the Kunimi service area on the Tohoku Expressway down line.

Where can I buy the revived Frozen? Introducing must-see information for fans

Frozen, who has made a miraculous comeback, is currently available for purchase at the following stores.

  • Pivot Fukushima store (directly managed store)
  • Iwaki La La Mew store (directly managed store)
  • Date factory store (directly managed store)
  • Kunimi SA (down line) store (franchise store)

You can purchase freshly fried crispy frozen tempura at the above stores. Please try the frozen tempura that can be eaten deliciously as a snack.

Frozen is also sold frozen. This is a convenient product for people who want to enjoy it with the whole family, and can also be used as a souvenir or gift. The method to obtain Frozen Froten is as follows.

Please check it out.

INFORMATION

Pivot Fukushima store (directly managed store)

Power City Pivot 1F, 1-1 Sakaemachi, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture 960-8031

Phone number/024-573-7400
Business hours/10:00-19:00
Regular holidays/facility closing days
Iwaki La La Mew store (directly managed store)

Iwaki La La Mew 1F, 43-1 Onahama Tatsumicho, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture 971-8101

Phone number/0246-38-9008
Business hours/10:00-18:00
Regular holidays/facility closing days
Date factory store (directly managed store)

10-5 Ikami, Kamigori, Kuwaori-cho, Date-gun, Fukushima 969-1661

Phone number/024-563-5455
Business hours/10:00-17:30
Regular holidays/Irregular holidays
Kunimi SA (down line) store (franchise store)

12 Yamaguchi, Kaida, Kunimi-cho, Date-gun, Fukushima 969-1711

Phone number: 024-585-3561 (SA main number)
Business hours/9:00-18:00

summary

In this article, we introduced Fukushima's soul food ``Koten,'' which has made a miraculous comeback.

The sweet and crispy donut dough and chewy frozen mochi texture make this frozen tempura so addictive. I'm sure many people were happy about the news of its revival, hoping they could taste that taste again. I would be happy if there would be more stores where you can eat frozen tempura in the future. Please come and try some freshly fried frozen tempura.

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