沖縄黒糖

Sugarcane harvest on the GI-registered Okinawan islands runs January through April, and most kokutō for the year is produced during this window. MOQ ranges from 50 kg (small island producers) to 500 kg (larger blends), with lead times of 6–12 weeks. Ordering well before the harvest window, or just after it for the freshest crop, is strongly preferred — late in the year supply can be tight.

Only if your raw material complies with the MAFF GI specification (production on one of the eight registered islands per the registered method) and you have permission from the GI rights-holder organization to use the GI name. Generic 'Okinawan brown sugar' or 'kokutō from Okinawa' may be possible for non-GI-island product, but the protected term 'Okinawa Kokutō' / '沖縄黒糖' is reserved. Check the GI registration text and consult the producers' association.

Three common forms: (1) traditional block / lump (約 1 kg–5 kg blocks, 'katamari') for retail and gift use, (2) crushed / granulated (sieved to defined mesh ranges) for industrial baking and confectionery, and (3) powdered / micronized for blending into beverage mixes and dry seasoning. Some producers also offer kokutō syrup ('黒蜜 / kuromitsu') as a value-added liquid product. Specify form, particle size, and hardness on your spec.

Standard COA: sucrose, total reducing sugars, moisture (target ≤4% for hard kokutō), ash (typically 1–3%), color value, microbiological limits, heavy metals, and pesticide residues if claiming pesticide-free. For US and EU import, kokutō is treated as a sugar product (no special restrictions) but labeling cannot use 'unrefined' / 'natural' / 'raw' in ways that mislead consumers about nutrition equivalence to refined sugar — claims must be substantiated.