Creating Great Tastes with the Power of Bacteria — Next-Generation Pickles from 10%Iam

10%Iam products catch your eye with lovely packages that look like sweets embellished with stylish logos. Hailing from Takashima, Shiga, 10%Iam is a brand of pickles that get their flavors from fermentation by living bacteria.

We talked with Hirai Takaaki, president of Tomodachi Co., Ltd., about the 10%Iam brand, which grew out of a community symbiosis plan centered on fermentation.

Personally relocating to the region to better communicate its true value

Starting with the concept that pickling food ingredients makes them taste better, 10%Iam makes fermented food products with no artificial coloring, artificial preservatives, or chemical seasonings. In addition to fermented kimchi products and enzyme-infused fresh dressings, the brand’s lineup includes such unique products as Nara Pickles with Cheese in Rice Oil and Gobo [burdock root] in Chili Miso.

Hirai started his career in Tokyo, working in branding and art direction for a chain of soup specialty stores. Part of his job involved travelling to different places around the country for traceability verifications of the origins and processing histories of the wood materials used in the stores. During his travels, he found that despite each region having many charms, most were failing to communicate them effectively. Then, while visiting the city of Takashima in Shiga to study wood materials, he got an idea.

“Takashima is less than an hour’s drive from Kyoto, but it has a wealth of forested landscapes that look almost like the forests of Northern Europe. I was simply amazed by the stark contrast between such a short distance and the slowly changing natural environment. At the same time, I got the impression that the city was not taking advantage of the benefits of its location or the charm of the area. I introduced myself to members of the city council, and I pitched a plan to revitalize the area without being asked, even though no one was really asking for my advice. [laughs]”

Hirai Takaaki, president of Tomodachi Co., Ltd.

In this way, Hirai put into action his long-held belief that in order to understand the essential value of a region, one must be a party to it. He established a joint-stock company called Ameagaru specializing in regional branding and relocated to Takashima.

Food wisdom and technology communicated from the City of Fermentation

As he considered how best to communicate the attractions of specialty goods from Takashima, Hirai says the one word that kept popping up was fermentation.

“Takashima’s city slogan is Takashima, the City of Fermentation. From antiquity, the city has had a strong culture of fermented foods, highlighted by the well-known local delicacy funa-zushi, which features crucian carp from Lake Biwa. Households in the city commonly make their own miso, amazake [a sweet drink made from fermented rice], and vegetables pickled in saké lees called narazuke, with rice and soybeans they grow themselves. I wanted to propose new value for the modern dining table using the area’s deeply rooted fermentation wisdom and technology, which led me to launch a Takashima brand called Hibino Hakko.”

Beautiful scenic landscapes around Shiga’s Takashima that fascinated Hirai

Around this time, Hirai was approached by Panga Shokuhin , a manufacturer of kimchi, chanja [spicy cod innards], and other products, about developing a fermented food brand.

“Panga Shokuhin’s president had the idea to produce food products that grandparents would want their grandchildren to eat. However, if we just developed a brand as Ameagaru, unless we had someone to actually manage the brand once it was developed, it would just end up as an expense. So I suggested that we operate the brand together, which led to us to jointly establish a new company.”

As a result, Tomodachi Co., Ltd. was established in Takashima with joint investments from Ameagaru and Panga Shokuhin, and the 10%Iam fermented food product brand was born.

Coexisting symbiotically with bacteria, and using bacteria to make food taste better

The founding concept behind 10%Iam is living in harmony with fermentation bacteria. Taking the view that pickles are foods that have been flavor-boosted through the pickling process, the brand was insistent on flavoring its products without relying on chemical seasonings. Moreover, the striking 10%Iam brand name was chosen to reinforce the message of coexisting symbiotically with bacteria.

“It’s said that as many as 100 trillion bacteria live in a person’s intestines, and some experts suggest that there are nine microorganisms for each epidermal cell, including those on internal organs. In other words, 90 percent of our body is dependent on bacterial activity. Human health would not be possible without a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria in our bodies.”

While developing products for the brand, Hirai noticed that fermentation has the power to make food ingredients taste better. As food ingredients ferment, enzymes break down proteins to produce amino acids, which are the source of umami savoriness.

Most processed fermented foods currently on the market are made with chemical seasonings to adjust or enhance flavors. Hirai, however, wanted to prove that natural fermentation alone had the power to produce umami, sweetness, and depth of flavor without the use of any additives.

Gochujang Sauce is sweet and moderately spicy without using any sugar and tastes great as a condiment on rice or in stir-fries

One of 10%Iam’s most popular collections is the Saké Pairing Collection

“One of 10%Iam’s most popular products is Gochujang Sauce, which consists of only glutinous rice flour, rice koji [malt], malt flour, sesame oil, and salt. The malt and rice koji break down the starch in the rice flour to develop a deep sweetness and moderate spiciness without using any sugar.

“The products in the Fermented Kimchi series, which brings lactic acid bacteria directly to the dinner table without sterilization, continue to ferment in the container, allowing customers to enjoy different flavors depending on when they use the products.

“Another goal we had as we developed the brand was to upend the preconceived notions of pickles. It would be a terrible shame if people don’t eat fermented foods just because of the conventional image of pickles, despite the overwhelming taste benefits of pickling foods. For our products, we revamped the idea that pickles are just palate-cleansing dishes to eat between courses and sold them as ‘next-generation’ pickles designed not just for Japanese cuisine but also for modern diets.”

We want to create new fermented foods that involve the local community

10%Iam also develops new products through crowdfunding. One example is the Pickled Fish series, developed in cooperation with Takashima brewers and dairy farmers.

The sakekasu [saké lees] used in the sakekasu miso pickling was produced with the traditional kibune tenbin process, which is extremely rare anywhere in the country. With this process, in which the saké is squeezed out of wooden vats using large weighted poles, more ingredients remain in the sakekasu than with mechanical presses. The result is a taste free of impurities and, after maturing for a year, a distinctive sweetness. And the brand’s series of pickled fish with herb yogurt uses yogurt produced in-house with fresh milk sourced directly from local dairy farmers.

“Looking ahead, we plan to categorize our products further to make it easier to communicate how to eat fermented foods. For example, we want to devise presentation techniques that allow consumers to immediately envision how to eat a particular product, such as with rice, on bread, or as a snack with a drink.

“At the same time, we are thinking of ways to pitch our products that get consumers to link health with the deliciousness of fermented foods. One idea is developing boxed lunches that use 10%Iam products for sale at department store delicatessens and other retail outlets. We currently sell our products online, but we are planning to open our own stores someday.”