Traditional Japanese confectionery maker Tokachi Seika will start selling halal gyoza dumplings in Malaysia this summer under a deal with a local food producer.

Under an original equipment manufacturer pact recently concluded with Dkay Ventures, Hokkaido-based Tokachi Seika will sell halal gyoza initially to Japanese restaurants in Malaysia and Japan, President Hiroyuki Komano said.

The gyoza will be stuffed with chicken instead of pork and shaped like the Malaysian curry puff snack.

The OEM deal came out of a meeting between Tokachi Seika and Dkay Ventures at the Kedah Halal Fest last October and test marketing during the Malaysia International Halal Showcase in April this year, with the blessing of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

"We received good feedback for yaki-gyoza (grilled dumplings) and sui-gyoza (boiled dumplings) during the showcase," Komano said.

Tokachi Seika says it also aims to sell the gyoza under the brand name Hokkaido Tokachi Seika in Singapore and Indonesia.

Komano said the company thought it better to produce the gyoza in Malaysia because halal ingredients are easy to procure there and convenient to export to Japan and other countries.

Dkay Ventures Director Khairiyah Abu Hassan said the deal will facilitate technology transfers from Japan and offer an opportunity to learn about the efficiency of Japanese companies. She added that her firm can produce about 2,000 gyoza in one hour.