ReBran Uses a Locally Discarded Superfood to Make Granola Bran New

The granola man had me at Café Mocha. Tatsuyoshi Omura, creator of ReBran, is talking about the granola he’s been cooking up in a commercial kitchen in Makiki since last year. Banana Bread Cacao, Hawaiian Coffee, Island Honey & Sea Salt: Every flavor is made with bran left over from locally milled rice. Café Mocha is Omura’s favorite, so I make a mental note before asking the obvious: Why a rice bran granola?

“I was thinking about starting a musubi business, so I visited the Kubota [Rice Industry Hawai‘i] facility in Kalihi and saw the huge rice milling process. I was so impressed,” Omura says. “But they were discarding the rice bran. That doesn’t happen in Japan. Japanese people know rice bran is a superfood.”

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and cholesterol-lowering oils, rice bran,​ or nuka, is common in Japanese home kitchens and skincare products like moisturizers and anti-aging treatments.

“I went home and thought about how to upcycle rice bran,” says Omura, who grew up in Hawai‘i and Tokyo, where he ran national campaigns for a leading ad agency. “Making granola is something American people do. I know both cultures. I thought, I’ll be the person who can do this.”

Photo: Courtesy of Rebran Hawai‘i

He used his marketing background to trial 50 to 70 recipes, setting out samples and surveys to optimize flavors and textures. Matcha Latte joined the lineup; new flavors in kinako, miso and shoyu are coming. Like all his granola, none have refined sugar or preservatives.

As for Café Mocha? The flavor of roasted coffee beans permeates a crunchy blend of oats, bran and nuts with hints of coconut. It’s notably less sweet than American granola. It was my favorite, too—until I tried Island Honey & Ginger. I’m on my fourth bag. Now Omura is testing his new Black Sesame Kinako granola at farmers markets. I’m keeping an open mind.

Available at Saturday Kaka‘ako and Sunday KailuaTown farmers markets, Dean & DeLuca Hawai‘i, Lawson Station, Vim N’ Vigor, The Rice Factory, Kumu Farms Country Market (Maui), Down to Earth, rebrangranola.com, @rebran.granola

SEE ALSO: Your Guide to Farmers Markets on O‘ahu

Mari Taketa is the dining editor of HONOLULU Magazine and editor of Frolic Hawai‘i.