From February 24 to 27, 2022, RESOBOX displayed and sold shiitake mushrooms from SUGIMOTO Shiitake in Miyazaki Prefecture at the “Japanese Local Specialty Food Fair in NY” held at “Japan Village” in Brooklyn.
Japan Village is a commercial facility with Japanese shops and food halls, including popular vendors such as 100 yen store Daiso, and used bookstore Book-Off.
The “Japanese Local Specialty Food Fair in NY” featured booths from a number of municipalities and businesses introducing local products, such as croquettes from Hokkaido, shiso pickled plums from Kanagawa Prefecture, and rice chiffon cakes from Fukui Prefecture. The event attracted a great deal of foot traffic, as New Yorkers flocked to try the delicious foods.
Good reaction from consumers too!
Both the DONKO and KOSHIN varieties of dried shiitake were displayed for sale at the booth, and we also offered samples of Zen Minestrone Soup made with DONKO. After having a taste, visitors offered enthusiastic feedback, such as, “It tastes so delicious and full of flavor”, “How do you make this?” Many visitors bought the products, and we sold out all 80 items by the closing time on the last day. When we have sold SUGIMOTO Shiitake’s products in the past, it was mainly at events that targeted vegans, but this time, the visitors were the general public. We conducted our storefront sales with an eye on American consumers’ perspectives on dried shiitake mushrooms and why they purchase them.
Although shiitake mushrooms are already well known in New York City, Sugimoto Shiitake’s products have a much rich Umami flavor than the shiitake mushrooms currently available in New York City. Through tasting the dried shiitake mushrooms, visitors were surprised at the Umami flavor of the mushrooms. We told them that the dried shiitake mushrooms from SUGIMOTO Shiitake were not only delicious on their own, but the process of rehydrating them in water yields a high-quality soup stock that can be used in Japanese cuisine and many other dishes. This information turned many visitors into buyers, asking questions like “Can we only buy them today?”, “Is it possible to buy it on amazon?”
If you have any questions about SUGIMOTO Shiitake’s assortment of dried mushroom products, please contact us.