About

伝統や歴史のみに寄り掛からない日本食を、世界の人々へ。

A Creative Japan Inspired Food Brand.

Heritage Inspired And Driven to Innovate.

Jess and Fumi

Our Story

Abokichi is dedicated to sharing the creativity which can emerge when different cultures interact. Abokichi means "Fortunate Avocado," a coinage from "abogado", a South American fruit which has found a place in cuisines all over the world, and "kichi" which means fortunate in Japanese, to express the blessing of the diversity of different cultures in the world.

Our story began when Abokichi co-founder Jess first encountered onigiri (Japanese rice balls) as a healthy and convenient snack or meal while living in Tokyo. After returning to Canada, Jess had difficulty finding healthy, natural, and minimally processed food to eat on the run. As a result, she decided to introduce onigiri as a healthy option for busy people in Canada, selling at farmer’s markets in the Toronto area with her business and life partner, Fumi. Bobby, focusing on operations, joined the team as a partner in 2018.

Today, the three of us entrepreneurs work tirelessly, along with our dedicated team, to deliver you healthy and delicious Japanese food.

Story of OKAZU

We wanted to add chili oil to our onigiri but soon realized the products shipped from Japan usually contain a lot of chemicals such as preservatives, msg and stabilizers. So we decided to make our original all natural OKAZU condiment and started to use it in our onigiri. And that was a big hit! So we started to put it in jars.

Today we sell three varieties of our miso-based sesame oil condiments: OKAZU Chili Miso, OKAZU Curry Miso and OKAZU Spicy Chili. All have been featured by major media outlets, including Chatelaine, the Globe and Mail, CBC, Edible Toronto, Toronto Life and more! (See our Media page)

OKAZU was chosen as a Gold Winner for the 2020 sofi Awards. Out of 1800 marinades, dressings and condiments, OKAZU was deemed the tastiest! Read more about it here.

Story of ABO Miso Soup

Abokichi ABO Miso Soup is our newest product. Our instant miso soup is non-GMO, gluten-free and 100% vegan — unlike traditional miso broth which is made with katsuo bushi (fermented tuna flakes). Abokichi ABO Miso Soup is made from organic soybeans, garlic, spices and sake kasu — the fermented, pressed rice leftovers from sake brewing.

Abokichi ABO Miso Soup is available in three flavours: Original, Chili, and Black Pepper - all natural sources of healthy enzymes and prebiotics – good bacteria that promote healthy digestion.

Abokichi is a member of;

Mottainai (もったいない)! It means "What a waste!" in Japanese, so, lets up-cycle!

In 2020, our instant miso soup, containing sakekasu (sake lees) diverted more than two tonnes of nutritious byproduct from becoming food waste.

If you are a food entrepreneur with a byproduct that you're not sure what to do with, please get in touch. We would love to get creative with you and rethink our food system.

Tell us about your food byproduct at info@abokichi.com

Abokichi - Upcycled Food Brand

Globally, if food waste was a country, it would be the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world. In Canada, over half the food we produce in the country is being thrown away. This costs billions each year, and the environmental and social impact is really unthinkable, particularly when over 4 million Canadians are food insecure.

Abokichi believes in saving food waste by using upcycled ingredients in their products. Reducing and diverting waste is a core value of the company. For the sake of the earth and future generations, the entire food industry should care about the current wasteful standards and strive to do better.

Media

USE IT ON EVERYTHING

Literally put it on everything I can from crackers to rice to pizza it’s an amazing condiment with powerful tasty flavours.

Hi John,

Love this! 😄 So glad you’re enjoying it on everything — that bold flavor really goes with anything. Thanks for sharing! 🔥

My favourite!

Sooooo tasty!

This is the best condiment I have ever had. You can eat it on anything! I cant wait to try the miso!

So good!

I've only recently discovered this, and I'm obsessed with it. I've been putting it in everything. I don't think this jar is going to last me very long.

Hi Daniel,
So glad you’re loving it! ✨ It really does have a way of sneaking into every dish — from breakfast to dinner , it’s the secret flavor boost. Better keep an extra jar handy, they disappear fast!

Good

Thank you so much! We're happy you liked our Spicy Miso Chili Crisp!

Chili Miso

My brother had us over for barbecue burgers this summer and he had this condiment called Miso. Tried it on my burger and wow! He gave me a jar and I tried it with other things and blew through that jar in short order. So I ordered a case!

Hi Rob! This absolutely made our day to read...thank you! We love hearing how people first discover OKAZU, and your story is perfect. Barbecue burgers + a little OKAZU magic is such a great combo! We hope you have fun trying it on all sorts of your faves, it really does go with just about everything.

Thanks again for the support, and enjoy your stash! 🙌

Instant joy for any dish

This is such a fun and easy way to bring joy to any dish. !
I bought the 12-jar case and everyone is getting one for xmas this year.

Hi Clara,

Thank you so much for your purchase! We’re thrilled you our OKAZU product. Chili oils are such a bold and exciting gift — they instantly transform any dish with a kick of flavor and heat. Giving them out at Christmas is genius … it’s like handing everyone their own little jar of culinary magic ✨.

Mixed - the ramen is basically tasteless - wont bother again. Have only tried the regular miso - its ok but pricey for what you get. The chili crisps though - excellent! Will buy again.

Nice and spicy good ginger taste with the chili

Stoked

So pumped when I realized I can grab this stuff by the case. Hands down our favourite chili miso. I might even consider gifting a jar or two… but I’m not sure I can let any go.

Hi Natasha, thanks a bunch! 😊 We're so happy you love the chili miso ️. Buying it by the case—now that's true love! Sharing a jar sounds nice… but we totally get wanting to keep them all. 😄

Yummmm

Its so good. Love it. Will buy again. Great shipping

Thank you so much! 😊 We're really happy you liked it and that shipping was smooth. Can't wait to serve you again soon! 🙌

Curry Miso Chili Crisp

Life Changing!

My daughter gave me a jar of the Spicy with a warning. I would soon be putting it on everything. And she was right!! Deeeelicious!! Perfect amount of heat. My favourite application: eggs. So good. Please put me down as a beta tester for anything new!!

Hi Tom, thank you so much! We're really happy you love the Spicy ️ Putting it on eggs sounds amazing. Big thanks to your daughter for sharing it with you! We'll remember you for future taste tests — you're awesome!

Deliciousness in every spoonful

Enjoying every mouthful of the Ginger Akuza, thank goodness I bought 2 jars. Looking forward to trying the rest of the flavours. Definitely a 👍👍🫶🏼🌟🌟

Thanks, Diane! Can’t wait for you to try them all! 🔥

Very good

Hi Revekka, Thank you so much! We’re glad you’re enjoying it.

Je ne peux plus m’en passer!

Tellement goûteux et très polyvalent, j’en mets « presque » sur tout 🙂.
Merci!!

Ça nous fait tellement plaisir — merci! Nous avons conçu OKAZU pour être le genre de condiment que l’on peut mettre sur presque tout, alors nous sommes ravis qu’il soit devenu un incontournable pour vous. Merci de partager l’amour! ️

Wonderful Product

My family and I just love Okazu! We can’t get enough of it, hence me buying a case of it! We’ve tried all the flavours, but the Sansho Pepper is a firm favourite. Can’t guarantee the case will last long though. I find the price point abit high though.

Hi Charmaine, so thrilled to hear you and your family are loving OKAZU! Sansho Pepper really does have that irresistible kick ️—we totally get why it’s your fave. Thanks for stocking up with a whole case! Your feedback means a lot, and we’re always working to keep quality high and value strong. ✨😊

My favourite miso soup

Absolutely delish!

I haven't tried everything yet but so far I am quite satisfied! Worth every penny!

Hi Guylaine,

Thanks a bunch for the awesome feedback! Can’t wait for you to try the rest — it’s all worth it! Keep enjoying! ✨

Amazing quality

Tasty and hearty! Outstanding quality!

Hi Guylaine,

Thanks so much! 😊 We’re glad you enjoyed the Sanshō Pepper Miso Chili Crisp! ️ It’s packed with great flavors and healthy ingredients. Stay spicy and healthy! 💪

Love it!

This miso sauce is so delish on anything! I thought a case would be too many but am already on my second jar so glad I have a lot stocked up.

Hi Kelly,

Yesss! 🙌 So glad you’re loving it! It really does go with everything, right?! Thanks for stocking up and spreading the miso love. #TeamOKAZU

I love this sauce so much! Small complaint with the order - one of the jars arrived unsealed/spilled. Otherwise would be 5/5, so tasty!

Hi Emily,

So glad you like the sauce! We're really sorry one jar spilled. Please send us a message so we can fix it for you! Thanks again for your support! 😊

Always good.

All the products are good. Like the Curry the best. Have yet to try the ginger.

Thanks so much for the love! ❤️ So glad you’re enjoying the Curry — can’t wait for you to try the Ginger next! Let us know what you think!

So tasty

This miso chili oil is packed with flavour, and not too spicy. I love it on top of eggs in the morning or a spoonful on top of homemade ramen. Highly recommend!

Hi Julie,

Totally hooked. Eggs, noodles, toast... it really works on everything! I Appreciate you sharing this!

Yummy!

I've used your Okazu Chili Miso for several years and love it, finally decided to try other flavours as well. Not being able to get other flavours in local grocery stores I went ahead and ordered the set. Omg, no regrets! So far the Ginger Miso is my favourite, soooo good with a nice ginger kick. Am looking forward to trying the others that I'm not familiar with as well.

Hi Fiona,
We’re so happy you’ve been enjoying Okazu for years and decided to try more flavours! ❤️ Thrilled to hear Ginger Miso is a hit — can’t wait for you to try the rest. Thanks for being such a loyal fan!