Owanionsen Moyashi

Owanionsen Moyashi is a variety of bean sprout cultivated in soil for approximately one week using heat and water from Owanionsen hot springs.
　The bean sprouts are characterized by their length; 30 cm or more, much longer than common bean sprouts, and by their thinness; about less than half that of common ones. The sweetness, strong flavor, and the unique texture of Owanionsen Moyashi are highly appreciated, and it is traded at prices higher than common bean sprouts.

For the production of Owanionsen Moyashi, the native bean variety Kohachimame is cultivated in soil and in facilities where direct sunlight is cut. During seeding and cultivation, hot spring water from Owanionsen is used for plant watering and heating.
　Shipping standards require that the length be 30 cm or more, although due to the nature of the product, the standard allows a very small percentage of shorter sprout included within a batch.

Owani Town, which is one of the regions with the heaviest snow in Aomori Prefecture, has a long history of cultivating bean sprouts as a valuable source of vegetable during winter season.
　Owanionsen has an abundant supply of hot water, which provides plentiful hot spring water for plant watering and heating in soil and for rinsing bean sprout after harvesting. Farmers in the area have inherited the unique cultivation technique secretly transmitted from one generation to another.
　Owani Bean Sprout Cooperative (currently, Owanionsen Bean Sprout Cooperative) was established in 1975, and, ever since, has tackled quality improvement through sharing knowhow among producers.
　The lack of successors has been a concern on the secret generation-to-generation transmission of the cultivation technique of Owanionsen Moyashi. However, now, Owani Town is leading an initiative in accepting new farmers, and currently, the number of producers is 12 persons in 6 farms with annual production at 72,000 bundles of bean sprouts, as of 2018.