Kahori Bako｜”How are you?” Food News from Ota no Sato

Seasonal Deliveries, a Momentary Homecoming

A rural landscape stretches across the open plains of the Ota district. The mountains bring in cool, clear air. The Ota area offers a different kind of serene time flow from that found deep in the mountains or by the sea. The “EKoryu Center Ota no Sato,” which was renovated from the former Ota Junior High School to serve as an exchange facility for the community, offers direct sales of local produce, and farmers in the area take the time and effort to grow their produce, delivering the best of their selection.

The direct sales shop at the Exchange Center Ota no Sato is lined with vegetables harvested in the morning. Not only are they fresh, but they also have local vegetables that are rooted in the area, and there are also vegetables that are rare to find in department stores.

The “Kahori Box” was started at the “Koryu Center Ota no Sato” in the hope that people who live far away from Ota would be able to “feel Ota even when they are far away.“ In Ota, the word for “fragrance” is “kahori,” and when deciding on the name of the product, the name “Kahori Bako” was suggested, “Let’s deliver the fragrance of Ota. The products include several kinds of seasonal vegetables grown in the clear waters of the Ota River, rice, rice-flour bread made from the rice, and even miso and jam. The miso and jam, made by hand in the old-fashioned way, are popular with repeat customers. We are proud to present to you the aroma of Ota, packed in a variety of delicious foods.

“Communication Center Ota no Sato” was started by local people as an exchange base to revitalize the region. In addition to practicing local production for local consumption using local agricultural products, we hold events throughout the year to preserve and pass on the local food culture and traditional techniques that make use of the rich resources of the mountains and agricultural products.

When you open the box, you will be greeted by nostalgic scenery and the aroma of your hometown.

When you open the “Kahori Box,” you will be greeted by a colorful array of vegetables that evoke a powerful life force. Each vegetable is labeled with the name of its producer, and some people are said to be nostalgic when they see the name. The water and fresh air from the Ota River, as well as the crops grown by the farmers’ hands, seem to deliver not only delicious food, but also the warmth and nostalgia of this land. Originally started to cater to those who had left the area, the food is now gradually gaining popularity, with orders coming in from people who are not from Ota.

Rice (pyrrole rice) from Ota, a rice producing region, is made from the famous water of Nachi. It is made using farming methods that are particular about safety and security.

A staff member at the “Koryu Center Ota no Sato” says, “I hope that local farmers will find farming rewarding, and that more people will feel at ease in Ota and become farmers.” Currently, “Kahori Bako” is only sold on an irregular basis, depending on the season and weather conditions, but in the future they hope to deliver vegetables for daily use like a regular delivery service, so please keep an eye out for them. If there are any vegetables you are interested in, please feel free to contact the “Koryu Center Ota no Sato”. We hope that “Kahori Bako” in Ota will be an opportunity for you to feel closer to the places that are important to you.