#Hogushi Surume #Natori Co #Seafood Snack

Introducing 'Hogushi Surumegeso'

Natori Co., headquartered in Kita, Tokyo, has introduced a new product titled "Hogushi Surumegeso." This exciting seafood snack, perfect for pairing with sake, became available nationwide starting September 8, promising to delight both casual and gourmet snackers alike.

Background of Development

As people age, the ability to chew food decreases significantly, especially from the 60s onward, with about 30% of older adults reporting difficulties with harder foods. Among these, squid products often receive feedback pointing out their challenging texture. However, there's a growing trend among seniors enjoying casual drinking at home, underscoring a need for easy-to-eat yet flavorful seafood snacks.

With this in mind, the team at Natori Co. created "Hogushi Surumegeso," a product that combines deliciousness, ease of eating, and convenience. The aim was to produce a squid snack suitable for a variety of consumers.

Product Features

• - Soft Texture through Shredding: By carefully shredding the squid, this product delivers a significantly softer texture compared to traditional squid products, allowing the rich flavors of the squid to shine through.
• - Quality Ingredients: Made with premium "surume ika" (dried squid) and "matsui ika" (another squid variant), the inherent flavors create an incredible pairing with alcoholic beverages.
• - Versatile Consumption: This product offers an innovative take on the traditional squid, allowing consumers to switch between a tougher normal squid and the easy-to-eat shredded squid based on their mood.

Insights from Product Developers

Challenges Encountered

When developing this product, one of the main challenges was maintaining the soft texture suitable for seniors without losing the authentic taste of squid. The right balance was difficult to achieve since too much shredding could make the texture feel flimsy, leading to dissatisfaction. Through extensive iterations, the team succeeded in creating a texture that is easy to chew yet retains the satisfying taste and bite of real squid.

Key Points of Focus

The highlight of the product is clearly the unique