Aiming for Flavors Popular Locally by Using Local Ingredients

What is necessary to revitalize a community through food is to have proper support from the people of that community in addition to simply using local ingredients. Accordingly, we developed this product focusing on gyoza dumplings loved since long ago in Utsnomiya-shi, Tochigi Prefecture. We asked the Utsunomiya Gyoza Association to supervise the development of this product. The association gave us a lecture on how to use ingredients even more effectively and the flavors which will satisfy people in the community.

When we asked the Utsunomiya Gyoza Association to supervise the development of this product, it requested we use at least one ingredient produced in Tochigi Prefecture. The first ingredient we chose was chives produced in Tochigi Prefecture. The production output of chives in the prefecture is one of the highest in Japan. It is a very familiar ingredient on an everyday basis in the prefecture. Furthermore, we used Tamaizumi wheat produced in Tochigi Prefecture as the ingredient of the dough. Tamaizumi is a wheat suitable for gyoza dumplings because it has a rich taste and can produce the feeling of a texture with just the right amount of smoothness. In addition, we use vegetables produced in Japan to ensure the product can be eaten safely and with peace of mind.

Using Ingredients without Waste to Achieve Tastiness and Reduce Food Loss

Another area we were committed to focusing on was a reduction in food loss. We finely chop the outer leaves and cores of cabbages left over when manufacturing the salad products which we provide at Seven-Eleven and use them as ingredients. In fact, the richly-textured outer leaves and strongly-sweet core which is delicious when heated are also parts of cabbages suitable for gyoza dumplings. We use these outer leaves and cores for approximately 50% of the cabbage we use in one product pack (approximately 90 g). For example, if two packs are ordered in each of the 1,750 7-Eleven stores in the northern Kanto area, it will lead to a reduction in food loss by about 157.5 kg.

We have created Seven-Eleven’s Vegetable Pan-fried Gyoza Dumplings Supervised by the Utsunomiya Gyoza Association together with many partners including the Utsunomiya Gyoza Association as well as local producers and manufacturers. We have shortened the time it takes to kneed the gyoza dumpling ingredients. That has produced gyoza dumplings which allow you to fully enjoy the savory goodness of the meat, the texture of the cabbage and the sweetness of the vegetables. We plan to roll out this product for sale from September 2023 in stores in Tochigi, Gunma and Ibaraki prefectures and part of the area in Saitama Prefecture.

Sustainable Society of the Future Targeted from the Circulation of Food in the Community

We developed our Vegetable Pan-fried Gyoza Dumplings Supervised by the Utsunomiya Gyoza Association as a product which can also contribute to reducing food loss while taking advantage of the local food culture and agricultural products. However, that was not the only purpose of this initiative. We want to produce a virtuous cycle for the local economy by completing the product in the sales area: from the food production to manufacturing, sales and consumption. In addition, we are also aiming to reduce the CO₂ emitted during transportation to reduce our environmental impact.

We believe this mechanism will lead to the revitalization of the community. At the same time, we think it will serve as the first step to a society of coexistence in which local residents and diverse community entities support each other in line with changes in people’s lives. We will continue to promote activities which contribute to community revitalization, coexistence and the development of regions with an eye on the future by providing various products whose key point is being locally produced for local consumption.