New upcycled range from Nagano restaurant embraces local resources

Dining and accommodation facility “song” in Nagano has launched a new range of upcycled products. It is reaching beyond its restaurant by transforming food by-products into retail goods, following the region’s tradition of “Aru o tsukushite,” or “consuming a meal in its entirety without waste”.

One of the primary products is Shikabushi, a preserved venison product inspired by traditional katsuobushi (dried bonito). The restaurant receives whole deer legs from local hunters and uses the tough cuts and sinews that are typically difficult to serve as steak. These portions are dried and smoked over wood-fire grill for approximately one month. The resulting product can be shaved over rice or pasta to provide a concentrated umami flavour or used to create a smoky dashi stock.

In collaboration with the local charcuterie artisan porco, the restaurant also produced Venison Mortadella, which uses venison trimmings and beef fat from the restaurant that would otherwise be discarded as scrap meat.

The product range also includes their Wine Leaf Tea is produced using grape leaves removed during the “leaf pulling” process. Furthermore, song has partnered with Nobara Homestead Brewery to create a craft beer using Chardonnay pomace from wine production.

These efforts represent a circular model that integrates regional craftsmanship with waste reduction, supporting regional revitalisation with local production, local consumption.