Food & Beverage

Shiraki Brewery's underwater-aged Daruma Masamune is kept submerged long enough for shellfish to attach themselves to the bottles. (Photo courtesy of Shiraki Brewery)
Food & Beverage

Underwater aging adds deep taste to Japanese sake

Drinkers gulp up sake matured in the ocean in search of luxury, uniqueness

22 January 2023
CP Group is Thailand's largest conglomerate, with businesses ranging from retail to telecommunications. Agribusiness is one of the conglomerate's main pillars. (Photo by Yumi Kotani)
Food & Beverage

Thailand's CP Foods goes coal-free as EU readies carbon tax

Coal phaseout saves $10.5 million while input costs have risen 10%

19 January 2023
Grab accounted for 54% of ASEAN’s food delivery gross market value in 2023. (Photo by Dylan Loh)
Food & Beverage

Grab tightens ASEAN food delivery grip despite slowing growth

Singapore-based superapp provider ousts Malaysia, Vietnam rivals from top spots

18 January 2023
Like Kobe beef, meat from Matsusaka cattle is famed for its marbling. (Photo courtesy of the city of Matsusaka)
Food & Beverage

Japan's premium Matsusaka beef set to take off abroad in 2023

Industry group to boost annual quota 13-fold and hold event in Dubai

15 January 2023
Despite growing exports, Japanese alcoholic beverages still account for just 0.1% of the global market, according to the National Tax Agency.
Datawatch

Japanese liquor makes little splash in global market

Exports are growing, thanks to weak yen, but red tape limits marketing potential

14 January 2023
A ceremony was held for the opening of Ikinari Steak's first location in Southeast Asia, at a mall in Manila. (Photo by Yuichi Shiga)
Food & Beverage

Japan's Ikinari Steak debuts in Philippines after struggling in U.S.

Affordable eatery chain looks to rebound with first location in Southeast Asia

13 January 2023
The price of McDonald's Big Mac hamburger will rise to 450 yen from the current 410 yen, in a sign of rapidly spreading inflation.  
Inflation

McDonald's Japan to raise prices on 80% of its items

Series of hikes will leave classic burger 55% more expensive in less than a year

6 January 2023
This big fish, auctioned off on the morning of Jan. 5 in Tokyo, was served to diners in the afternoon. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita) 
Food & Beverage

Bluefin tuna fetches $273,000 at Japan auction after COVID drop

212-kg catch from off northeastern Japan to go to Sushi Ginza Onodera diners

6 January 2023
China's alcoholic beverage market is diversifying, with drinkers opting for a wider variety of product than in the past. (Photo by Shin Watanabe)
Food & Beverage

China's top beer maker bets on strong 'baijiu' market

China Resources Beer grabs white liquor maker to meet shifting tastes

4 January 2023
Conveyor-belt sushi chain Sushiro plans more openings abroad this year than in Japan. (Photo courtesy of Food & Life Companies)
Food & Beverage

Japan's sushi chains want bigger bite of overseas markets

Sushiro plans up to 60 new locations abroad in 2023, more than in Japan

4 January 2023
Kirin Holdings, a major Japanese brewer, expects the cost of materials to climb 10% to 20% in 2023. (Photo by Yo Inoue)
Inflation

Majority of Japan's food, household goods makers plan 2023 price hike

Businesses struggle to absorb blow from rising costs, weak yen: survey

3 January 2023
A worker arranges tuna fish for delivery inside a van in Manila. The Philippines was the fifth-largest producer of canned tuna in 2017.
Food & Beverage

Japanese tuna company Hagoromo expands Philippine footprint

New office aims to bolster ingredient supply as rising costs squeeze profits

31 December 2022
Beverages have been targeted because more than half of Singaporeans’ average 60-gram daily intake of sugar comes from beverages. (Photo by Mayuko Tani)
Food & Beverage

Singapore tightens regulations on sweet drinks to tackle diabetes

Measures include ban on ads for products with highest levels of sugar

27 December 2022
Freshly made Kameda products cannot be tasted anywhere other than at this store. (Photo by Miho Saito)
Food & Beverage

Rice snack maker Kameda sells fresh-made crackers in Tokyo Station

Niigaya-based company aims to attract foreign tourists and young people

26 December 2022
Chinese food tech startup Botinkit has been targeting the labor-intensive restaurant industry and making forays overseas. (Photo courtesy of the company)
36Kr/KrASIA

Chinese cooking robot startup reaches Japan and Southeast Asia

Botinkit's all-in-one cyborg chefs digitize and reproduce recipes

23 December 2022
Gautam Godhwani, managing partner of Good Startup, says Singapore has done a good job establishing itself as a regional leader in the alternative protein sector. (Source photos from Good Startup)
DealStreetAsia

Singapore firm targets bigger fund to invest in alternative proteins

Good Startup plans to pour up to $10m into emerging sector in 2023

19 December 2022
The Antonio and Lara wagashi confection takes its name from a Hans Christian Andersen novel. The black one is covered with burned caramel. The yellow one uses mango and passion fruit jam. (Photo by Akira Takemura)
Food & Beverage

Blending caramel and jam, new Japanese sweets are art for five senses

Time-honored wagashi shops seek to revitalize ancient art

18 December 2022
While Japanese consumers race to find cheaper deals amid inflation, some food companies have increased sales of pricier items thanks to savvy marketing.
Datawatch

Japanese food makers find shoppers are ready to swallow higher prices

Costlier products outsell cheaper ones in nearly half of categories in study

17 December 2022
Soft drinks in a Bangkok supermarket. Pepsi has a famous rivalry with Coca-Cola, as well as competing with a host of other beverage makers.
Interview

PepsiCo may lift Southeast Asian prices as supply chains fail to fizz

Company increasingly turning to drinks with less sugar, sees Asian sales growing

16 December 2022
Jago Coffee is aiming to expand its mobile stands offering cups of fresh brew to Indonesian cities beyond Jakarta. (Photo by Nana Shibata)
Interview

Indonesia's Jago to deploy 10,000 mobile cafes to serve up coffee

Startup challenges instant-dominated market with fresh-brewed offering

16 December 2022
Bottles of Sula wine on display at a liquor store in Mumbai.
IPO

India's largest winemaker generates robust demand in IPO

Sula Vineyards has been tapping growing appetite for its products

14 December 2022
A bartender pours a craft beer at a promotional event held in a Bangkok park in late November. (Photo by Yohei Muramatsu)
Food & Beverage

Thailand's watered-down beer deregulation panned as weak brew

Limited help for craft brewers seen as protecting leaders Singha and Chang

12 December 2022
Yakiniku Like offers low-carbohydrate meals for those looking to cut their sugar intake. (Photo courtesy of Yakiniku Like)
Food & Beverage

Barbecue and barbells: Japanese chain fuses 'yakiniku' with fitness

Tweet about meat launches subscription plan gymgoers are devouring

12 December 2022
A coffee shop in Yangon, which opened last year, offers a place for people made anxious by political and civil strife to relax.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar's urban hangouts recover as people tire of politics

Young people stressed by social unrest seek solace among friends

11 December 2022
Upside Foods' cultivated chicken sandwich: Such manufactured meats use up to 95% less land and 78% less water than the conventional version. (Handout photo from Upside Foods)
Opinion

Skill shortage threatens Asia's 'future food' ambitions

Region lacks adequate training programs for alternative protein production

11 December 2022