Somen Noodles, Side Dishes, and Takikomi Rice: A Colorful Table with Homemade Dipping Sauce — Cooking and Tasting Event in Kai City on June 29 (Mon) [Yamanashi, Nagano]

Palsystem Consumer Cooperative Yamanashi Nagano (Headquarters: Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture; Chairperson: Shigeko Furuya) will host a workshop on June 29 (Mon) from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM at its distribution hub, the Kai Center (Kai City, Yamanashi Prefecture). The event, titled 'Know and Use: Homemade Dipping Sauce This Summer – Seasoning Utilization Techniques,' will focus on creating somen dipping sauces from basic seasonings and feature five dishes, including somen, side dishes using 'Veg-Koji,' and takikomi rice balls.

Expanding Daily Recipes with Basic Seasonings and Koji

The workshop will be led by member-instructors who have completed the 'Palsystem Life Assistant (PLA)' program, which educates users on the cooperative's unique product standards and production backgrounds. They will share insights into Palsystem's original seasonings, which are carefully crafted without additives to highlight the natural flavors of ingredients.

During the hands-on cooking session, participants will prepare five dishes using homemade dipping sauces made from basic seasonings and 'Tomato Koji.' Somen, a summer staple often prone to repetition, will be enjoyed with three distinct dipping sauces—Japanese, Chinese, and Western-style tomato sauce made with tomato koji—allowing for a comparative tasting. Original recipes such as deep-fried fish marinated in homemade Japanese-style sauce and takikomi rice (seasoned rice) will also be introduced, ensuring no sauce goes to waste.

'Veg-Koji,' made by mixing tomatoes or onions with koji and salt and letting it ferment for several days, will be used in dishes like steamed vegetables and chicken and pickles. Participants will learn how to easily incorporate fermented foods into their daily meals.

Event Overview: 'Know and Use! Homemade Sauce This Summer – Seasoning Utilization Techniques'

[Date and Time] June 29, 2026 (Mon), 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM (Registration starts at 10:15 AM)

[Venue] Palsystem Yamanashi Nagano Kai Center (3590-1 Shimo-Imai, Kai City, Yamanashi Prefecture)

[Menu] - Somen (tasting three types: Japanese-style, Chinese-style, and Western-style tomato sauce using tomato koji) - Deep-fried fish (using homemade Japanese-style sauce as marinade) - Two types of takikomi rice (served as rice balls, one based on dipping sauce, the other on tomato koji) - Steamed vegetables and chicken (using tomato koji) - Pickles (using onion koji)

[Participants] 16 members

For more details

Event flyer PDF here

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Smiling While Eating, Heartwarming While Rolling: 'Onigiri Good'

Since April 2026, the Palsystem Group has been promoting the 'Onigiri Good' campaign, encouraging people to eat onigiri (rice balls) to boost rice consumption and improve Japan's domestic food self-sufficiency rate. Actions such as attending onigiri-related events or posting on social media are counted, and upon reaching 10,000 actions, 1 ton of directly sourced rice will be donated to children's cafeterias across 12 prefectures in the group's service area.

This event aims to let participants enjoy takikomi rice balls together, share smiles, and feel the warmth of handmade onigiri, while promoting the use of directly sourced rice and contributing to society.

Special 'Onigiri Good' Action Page

Palsystem Yamanashi Nagano will continue to support domestic agriculture through consumer power and work with members toward sustainable production and consumption.

Palsystem Consumer Cooperative Yamanashi Nagano

Address: 225-1 Furukamijō, Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture Chairperson: Shigeko Furuya Capital: ¥2.65 billion, Members: 59,000, Total Business Volume: ¥8.23 billion (as of March 2025) Website: https://www.palsystem-yamanashi.coop/

Palsystem Consumer Cooperative Federation Address: 2-2-6 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (Laquas Higashi-Shinjuku) Chairperson: Atsuyuki Shibusawa Total Business Volume of 13 Member Cooperatives and Unified System Users: ¥260.42 billion, Total Members: 1.762 million (as of March 2025) Member Cooperatives: Palsystem Tokyo, Palsystem Kanagawa, Palsystem Chiba, Palsystem Saitama, Palsystem Ibaraki Tochigi, Palsystem Yamanashi Nagano, Palsystem Gunma, Palsystem Fukushima, Palsystem Shizuoka, Palsystem Niigata Tokimeki, Palsystem Kyosai-ren, Saitama Prefectural Workers' Cooperative, Ai-Coop Miyagi Website: https://www.pal-system.co.jp/