Zenko positions itself as a clean-label snack brand using naturally nutrient-dense ingredients. It is known to transform ancient superfoods into modern nutritious snacks. Its most recent launch is edamame – a well-known Asian ingredient that is both familiar yet unique as a snack.
Its latest launch, the roasted edamame, reflects growing consumer demand for snacks that combine high protein with short ingredient lists.
Zenko founder Wouter Duyck observed that protein demand is converging with demand for functional foods, which consumers expect to contain no artificial ingredients.
“I see high protein as part of the functional aspect. We are really looking at functional snacking as the focus for new product developments,” he said.
“People are becoming much more conscience and intentional about what they eat and why they eat it. We want our products to grow alongside those trends.”
How edamame fits the bill
Zenko aims to differentiate itself through naturally high-protein ingredients with short ingredient lists rather than processed formulations.
“Protein is popular, but many of these products tend to be artificial or very processed. We wanted to find raw materials that are naturally high in protein and turn them into convenient snacks. Edamame ticked all the boxes. It delivers high protein while remaining a single natural ingredient,” said Duyck.
Across much of Asia, edamame is commonly served as an appetiser, particularly in Japanese restaurants, where it is boiled or steamed and lightly salted.
Zenko offers an alternative way to enjoy edamame.
“We thought it’s really clever to roast them so that they become very crunchy. It’s a new tasty snack that allows you to take in your protein. And it’s still natural, it’s not processed, it’s single ingredient, and it’s convenient,” said Duyck.
“We did explore other options – like beans, seeds, or nuts. But edamame has 40 grams of protein per 100 grams and that really set it apart from all the other options. It’s an incredibly high protein level.”
Beyond the functional protein focus, Duyck emphasises the importance of making snacks taste great. This led to the creation of four distinct flavours to complement the crunchy texture.
Pleasing the Asian and global palate
Duyck believes roasted edamame remains relatively underdeveloped as a packaged snack category, creating an opportunity for differentiation.
“People are used to comparing protein snacks against protein bars, which tend to be very processed and very sweet. This tends to not sit well on your stomach and palate,” he said.
“What we’re doing with edamame is familiar. We’re calling out the protein, but on top of that, we’re coming out with very interesting flavours that you won’t have with other protein snacks. Edamame rivals other protein snacks in terms of protein content, but it is savoury snack and natural which is suited to the Asian palate.”
Importantly, Asian flavours are gaining popularity across the globe.
Innova Insights’ Local Flavours Going Global report (July 2025) found East Asian flavours – particularly Chinese, Korean and Japanese – continue gaining international popularity, while South Asian flavours such as Indian and Sri Lankan are also growing.
Zenko’s four distinct flavours for its roasted edamame snacks align with these findings – Himalayan pink salt is widely used in Indian cuisine, seaweed and wasabi are well-known Japanese flavours, and sriracha has its roots in Thailand.
These flavour profiles not only serve Asian consumers but also appeal to international markets.
“Geographically, we’re focused on Asia Pacific. We see significant opportunities in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Southeast Asia, where roasted edamame snacks are not yet widely available. We believe we have the opportunity to be among the first to create the category,” said Dyuck.
“We also have a large customer base in the Middle East. It’s not the best time to be doing business there right now, but the health and wellness trend is growing rapidly. In countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, there are many gym-goers and strong interest in protein products, but consumers have fewer options. Once market conditions improve, we’ll work with our partners to launch there.
“We also have a strong retail presence in Europe, and we believe there is potential in that market as well. But for now, our priority is Asia, followed by the Middle East when conditions improve.”
Meeting the needs of modern consumers
Going into the finer details of its target markets, Duyck shared that Zenko is targeting young professionals or millennials in the 20s to 40s age range. He also observed that a large portion of Zenko’s customers are mothers who actively look for healthy snacks.
“Mothers look for natural snacks from brands that they can trust, and the big brands don’t necessarily use ingredients that are good for their family or their kids. At the end of the day, it’s often the mothers who are the decision makers of what goes into the pantry,” said Duyck.
He added that to ensure quality, the firm aims to source and manufacture products close to where the raw ingredients are grown.
“The closer you get to the actual source, that’s where you can get the best quality ingredients. A lot of our other products are made in India because the raw materials come from there. In this case, we found the biggest source of edamame was in Suzhou, China, where there’s a very large market for local consumption of edamame. And so there they have the supply chain set up for specifically for this product,” Duyck explained.
He also shared that future product development will continue to focus on health and wellness needs for modern consumers.
“Gut health is trending, but I’m thinking more along the lines of products that offer calm and relaxation. Such as products enhanced with ashwagandha, for example.”
The company’s future pipeline, he said, will continue focusing on ingredients that naturally align with emerging health and wellness needs rather than heavily processed functional formulations.
