Food & Beverage

A mark an a display case containing hot food at a convenience store, indicating the items within are Halal-certified. (Photo by Koya Jibiki)
Food & Beverage

Indonesia's food companies rush for halal seal of approval by 2024

Government hopes to spur spending with new certification requirement

9 May 2023
Company representative Toshio Shinko seen with the barrels his company is using to produce organic soy sauce in France. (Photo courtesy of Yuasa Soy Sauce)
Food & Beverage

A rare vintage: organic soy sauce brewed in Bordeaux barrels

Japanese brewer from seasoning's birthplace teams with famed French chateau

7 May 2023
Japan lags behind other advanced economies in agricultural productivity, as individual farms still account for 60% of domestic sales.
Datawatch

Businesses help spur Japan's agricultural revival

Companies now make up 40% of local sales, but overall productivity still low

6 May 2023
A Gyu-Kaku restaurant in Indonesia. Colowide is expanding the chain across the world, including in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. (Photo courtesy of Colowide)
Food & Beverage

Japan's Gyu-Kaku BBQ chain operator plots big overseas push

Colowide eyes Mideast and Africa in plan to quintuple locations

1 May 2023
Japan relies on just a few countries for the bulk of its wheat imports, making it vulnerable to supply disruptions. (Photo by Tadanori Yoshida)
Politics

Japan to weigh food security law in face of Ukraine, Taiwan risks

Planned legislation would mandate food producers to ramp up supplies

29 April 2023
Nasi pecel, a traditional Javanese salad with peanut sauce. (All photos by Ian Neubauer)
Life

Unearthing curious culinary secrets of Java

Indonesia's most populous island boasts a vibrant but underrated food culture

22 April 2023
Quintessentially Thai: Pad kaprao, left, a stir-fry with a distinct aroma and a flavor of Thai holy basil, and the spicy, sour gaeng som, widely considered the hottest soup on the Thai menu. (All photos by Ken Kobayashi)
Tea Leaves

Thais hone taste for gastro-nationalism

In multilayered culinary culture, dishes are more than just meals

19 April 2023
Legit Group runs a full cloud kitchen business model with no offline presence. (Screenshot from Legit Group's website) 
DealStreetAsia

Indonesian cloud kitchen startup Legit Group raises $13.7m

MDI Ventures leads Series A round in growing online food delivery market

11 April 2023
Singapore's central business district. The city-state's new work visa scheme is expected to affect many multinationals.
Work

Singapore favors AI, alternative food talent in new visa scheme

Analysts say upcoming point-based criteria makes companies rethink hiring

10 April 2023
Data analysis helped two Itochu units rescue bananas that otherwise would have been discarded, make them into a paste and sell the paste to big bakeries. (Photo courtesy of Itochu)
Food & Beverage

Itochu data helps Yamazaki turn imperfect bananas into cakes

Trading house delivers economic analyses from a consumer perspective

10 April 2023
Yamato Manufacturing already exports large noodle machines to parts of Asia and other overseas markets, but had not entered Europe due to stringent regulations there. (Source photos by Taisuke Suzuki and Kyodo)
Food & Beverage

Japan manufacturer targets Europe with supersize noodle machine

Product from Yamato meets EU's tough health and safety standards

9 April 2023
A wine-style bottle of Yamecha green tea, which retails for 27,000 yen ($205). (Photo by Yoshinaru Sakabe)
Food & Beverage

Steeped in tradition, Japan's $200 bottled tea inspired by wine

Yamecha aims for global recognition with help from renowned sommelier

9 April 2023
Wakou Shokuhin makes a wide range of ramen broth, including vegetarian and vegan options. 
Food & Beverage

Hokkaido seasoning maker invests $1m in U.S. ramen broth operation

Wakou Shokuhin hopes to capture demand as Americans warm to Japanese cuisine

8 April 2023
A London outpost of Marugame Udon, the popular udon noodle chain operated by Toridoll Holdings. (Photo by Minoru Satake)
Food & Beverage

Japanese noodle shop operator gobbles up U.K. pizza chain

Toridoll looks abroad for growth as domestic market remains sluggish

6 April 2023
Singapore-based Little Farms is a boutique grocery chain sourcing organic fruit, vegetables and fresh produce from independent suppliers and farmers in Australia, Europe and the rest of the world. (Screenshot from Little Farms' website) 
DealStreetAsia

Singapore grocery chain Little Farms secures $1.5m in funding

Temasek Holdings subsidiary Heliconia Capital invests through equity and debt

4 April 2023
A satisfying nasi campur meal -- a platter of brown rice served with seven different vegetable dishes -- on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. (All photos by Charukesi Ramadurai)
Tea Leaves

How vegans are stirring Southeast Asia's food scene

Search for sustainability and the pandemic are making diners think again

29 March 2023
Warabeya Nichiyo Holdings opened its first continental U.S. plant in Texas in 2017. (Photo obtained by Nikkei)
Food & Beverage

Japanese 7-Eleven food supplier to build new U.S. plant

Warabeya plans $82m facility to supply 2,500 convenience stores in Midwest

28 March 2023
Authentic Japanese whisky is matured in barrels for three years or more.
Food & Beverage

U.S. bourbon maker IJW plots debut as producer of Japanese whisky

Kentucky-based company to build giant distillery in Hokkaido through subsidiary

25 March 2023
Fishmeal-based feed is getting more expensive for Japanese fish farmers.
Food & Beverage

Marubeni hopes Japan will snap up bug-based fish feed

Trading house teams with French startup on fishmeal alternative as costs rise

13 March 2023
Sushi restaurants are looking to reassure customers disturbed by problem behavior. (Photo by Atsushi Ooka)
Food & Beverage

Sushi pranks push restaurants to fight back with AI

Top conveyor belt maker partners with security company on spotting troublemakers

13 March 2023
Stream article image
Food & Beverage

Japan's wine country takes the road to the deep north

Climate change opens up new regional possibilities for vineyards

12 March 2023
The Vietnamese beef plant planned by Vinamilk and Sojitz will be able to process about 30,000 head of cattle per year.
Food & Beverage

Vinamilk and Japan's Sojitz break ground on beef plant in Vietnam

$100m joint-venture complex set to launch operations in 2024

9 March 2023
Pagoda operates 5,600 stores in more than 140 cities across China. (Photo by Takashi Kawakami)
Food & Beverage

Top Chinese fruit retailer Pagoda eyes global expansion

Company diversifying sales channels after listing in Hong Kong

6 March 2023
A lineup of traditional 1.8-liter sake bottles at a store in Niigata in January. (Photo by Miho Saito)
Food & Beverage

Supersize sake bottles are becoming a thing of the past in Japan

Pubs and consumers struggle to finish 1.8-liter containers as drinking habits change

6 March 2023
Sapporo is looking to expand its footprint in Japan's ready-made cocktail market. (Photo by Junya Hemmi)
Food & Beverage

Sapporo taps AI to quench Japan's thirst for cocktails in a can

Japan drinks maker uses tech to cut development time in chase with taste trends

4 March 2023