{"id":7852,"date":"2024-06-22T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-21T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/?p=7852"},"modified":"2024-06-19T13:35:59","modified_gmt":"2024-06-19T04:35:59","slug":"made-in-nepal-peanut-butter-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/news\/made-in-nepal-peanut-butter-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Made in Nepal peanut butter in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A Japanese social entrepreneur brings skills and income to Khotang\u2019s peanut farmers by finding export market<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By <a href=\"https:\/\/nepalitimes.com\/author\/sonia-awale\">Sonia Awale<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kathmandu (Nepali Times) \u2013\u00a0The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=bead8272edd0f2143&amp;q=https:\/\/www.nepalitimes.com\/here-now\/chiampagne\/&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj_4OOU8tb0AhVuTGwGHZxDBlYQFnoECAQQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw1bIcX2Mvv2AOTwYJ1ufhaX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">highest quality tea<\/a>\u00a0is synonymous with Darjeeling. Outstanding beer is produced in Pilsen. Camembert cheese gets its name from a town in France. In future, could Khotang become the name for the world\u2019s purest peanut butter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"H-QVCYBQy90\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Made in Nepal: Sanchai Natural Peanut Butter from Khotang to Japan\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/H-QVCYBQy90?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Made in Nepal: Sanchai Natural Peanut Butter from Khotang to Japan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>An up-and-coming business venture led by a Japanese social entrepreneur is set to put this outlying Himalayan district in eastern Nepal on the world map for its premium natural peanut butter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kotobuki Naka\u2019s plan to turn Durchim of Halesi Municipality in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nepalitimes.com\/latest\/nepals-local-governments-lead-from-the-front\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Khotang district<\/a>&nbsp;into the world\u2019s peanut butter capital is picking up again after being stalled by the Covid crisis. She is now back to get the farmers she trained and the factory she established up and running.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-2-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7854\" style=\"width:354px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-2-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-2-150x200.jpg 150w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-2-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-2-696x928.jpg 696w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-2-1068x1424.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-2.jpg 1125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photos: SANCHAI INC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Naka (<em>pictured, left<\/em>) used to work with a Japanese IoT (Internet of Things) company that used to support&nbsp; charity work among&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nepalitimes.com\/banner\/nearly-half-of-nepali-children-still-malnourished\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">children<\/a>&nbsp;in Khotang. On her first visit, she undertook the tumultuous&nbsp;15-hour drive from Kathmandu to Khotang along rough mountains roads to meet farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She found that peanut was the main cash crop in southern Khotang, but crop failure due to drier than usual weather was forcing men to migrate to India and the Gulf for work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was trying to find a more sustainable way to improve the lives of children, and concluded that the best way to go about that was to make their parents more economically capable, rather than just giving handouts,\u201d says Naka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three years ago, she met a farmer who told her he did not want to migrate but continue farming if there was a way to make a living from it. This had a profound effect on Naka, who went on to establish&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sanchai-inc.com\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sanchai Inc<\/a>&nbsp;impart training in organic farming to make peanut butter, so they did not have to migrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During their extensive research, Naka with her colleague Sabita Maharjan of Bipana Inc learned that Khotang locals grew two types of peanuts: the smaller, tastier local variety for their own consumption, and a larger hybrid peanut to be sold to middlemen at low rates. What was left, they fed to livestock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-3-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7855\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-3-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-3-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-3-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-3.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photos: SANCHAI INC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTill that point, I knew nothing about making peanut butter, but I had to convince my boss in Japan,\u201d Naka recalls, \u201cI told him it was for people in Nepal, not to earn a profit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She then visited peanut experts in Japan and got a famous Japanese recipe before her next visit to Khotang with basic equipment to test-make a peanut butter sample. Everyone back in Japan agreed that the smaller local peanut variety gave the best\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/archive.nepalitimes.com\/news.php?id=15952#.YbIN9C2B2fQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">peanut butter<\/a>\u00a0they had ever tasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"655\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7856\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-4.jpg 655w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-4-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-4-150x99.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 655px) 100vw, 655px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photos: SANCHAI INC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"686\" src=\"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-5-1024x686.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7858\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-5-1024x686.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-5-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-5-768x514.jpg 768w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-5-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-5-696x466.jpg 696w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-5-1068x715.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-5.jpg 1417w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photos: SANCHAI INC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe were amazed how good it was. I was convinced we could train local people to make it and set up a company,\u201d adds Naka, who had to first get used to a place without electricity. Luckily, the village got power just before the factory opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs a Japanese, it took me time to get used to the lack of punctuality here,\u201d laughs Naka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The farmers who showed up were all&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nepalitimes.com\/editorial\/women-and-water\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">women<\/a>&nbsp;because most of the men had migrated. Unintentionally, the peanut enterprise also became a tool for women empowerment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Naka and her team trained 60 households to produce organically-grown peanuts which the company bought for a higher price than middlemen, benefiting 300 farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur whole idea was to raise living standards sustainably, by providing skills and not just handing out money,\u201d explains Naka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-6-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7859\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-6-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-6-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-6-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-6-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-6-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-6-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-6.jpg 1417w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photos: SANCHAI INC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, they trained their staff of 10 women to make peanut butter in a few crucial steps:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"266\" height=\"797\" src=\"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7857\" style=\"width:288px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-7.jpg 266w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-7-100x300.jpg 100w, https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/SANCHAI-INC-7-150x449.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 266px) 100vw, 266px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photos: SANCHAI INC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select undamaged peanuts manually<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Remove outer shell of selected peanuts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Carefully roast the peanuts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clean and break each peanut into two halves<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Peanuts go through another round of selection<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Peanuts go for mixing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Quality control is paramount for the export market, and this is meticulously maintained with superior raw material and processing that retains the unique taste and texture of the butter from Khotang peanuts as well as a protein level of 1.3% &#8212; higher than any other similar product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Naka, 43, grew up in Fukuoka, learning the basics of business from her father who owned a chain of beauty salons. She moved to Tokyo as a researcher for the IoT company. After three years, Naka opened Sanchai Inc in December 2017, and export of Khotang peanut butter started a year later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Distribution within Nepal at Le Sherpa Farmers\u2019 Market, Local Project Nepal, Himgiri Organic Farm have resumed after the pandemic. Japan now accounts for 90% of sales, and there is also budding interest from companies for the Singapore, Europe and the United States markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I tell people the story behind the product, they get excited and are even more interested in buying it. I try to inspire in them the feeling of giving and helping people in rural Nepal,\u201d says Naka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOurs was one small effort, but it gave women in Khotang a platform to perform, their families&#8217; living standard rose, and they have now become leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/nepalitimes.com\/author\/sonia-awale\"><\/a><a>Sonia Awale<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>WRITER<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse\">Sonia Awale is Executive Editor of Nepali Times where she also serves as the health, science and environment correspondent. She has extensively covered the climate crisis, disaster preparedness, development and public health -- looking at their political and economic interlinkages. Sonia is a graduate of public health, and has a master\u2019s degree in journalism from the University of Hong Kong.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>INPS Japan\/ <a href=\"https:\/\/nepalitimes.com\/multimedia\/made-in-nepal-peanut-butter-in-japan\">Nepali Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Japanese social entrepreneur brings skills and income to Khotang\u2019s peanut farmers by finding export market By Sonia Awale Kathmandu (Nepali Times) \u2013\u00a0The\u00a0highest quality tea\u00a0is synonymous with Darjeeling. Outstanding beer is produced in Pilsen. Camembert cheese gets its name from a town in France. In future, could Khotang become the name for the world\u2019s purest [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,30,16,32],"tags":[96],"class_list":{"0":"post-7852","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-asia-pacific","8":"category-development-aid","9":"category-news","10":"category-regions","11":"tag-the-nepali-times"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7852"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7860,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7852\/revisions\/7860"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}