Kaizen is a Japanese word that means “change for the better,” and it’s also a methodology that continually looks to improve processes and eliminate waste in business. Over in Santa Barbara, Daniel Yoo and his decorated brand Kaizen Extracts have spent the last decade trying to embody the word. His latest product, Nitro-Zen, is a continuation of that mission.
California Leaf learned from Yoo that out of the 200 acres of canopy that Kaizen has access to, the farm has already harvested 3.5 million pounds of wet weight in 2025. This fact has also drawn the eye of Bill Kimmerle and his proprietary process, which carefully maps and removes terpenes using nitrogen. Originally built for use with semiconductors, this Columbia University Ph.D. has translated the hardware and software into terpene technology and is on a mission to replace botanically sourced terps with the real thing.
“This is going to be the future,” Kimmerle said, noting that his cutting-edge technique is built to run large-scale production, and Kaizen’s OCal-certified farm was perfect for this mission.
The result of this partnership is Kaizen’s Nitro-Zen line, which the company described on its website as taking these carefully captured compounds — that might otherwise have been lost during the washing or pressing process — and reintroducing them to their solventless rosin in order to create a stronger entourage effect. Alongside this, it increases the rosin’s overall terpene percentage to around 10% to 14%, according to the Kaizen website.
Lemon Reactor is White Miso (Kosher Kush x God’s Gift) blended with Super Lemon Haze terpenes for a piquant citrus finish. All carefully hunted from seed by the team at Kaizen, Yoo said they’ve actually been working with DNA Genetics’ Kosher Kush since 2014.
Yoo personally creates all the pairings for Nitro-Zen flavors. His intention for this was to mix the creamy finish on their White Miso with something that had a little citrus/gas pick-me-up to it, resulting in what the brand calls a “high voltage zest,” which is something this reporter can attest to. You get a nice haze kick right from the start of that exhale.
Nitro-Zen is a process of continual growth for Kaizen, always looking at how to improve procedures and take things even higher. In addition, it allows Yoo to craft thought-out blends and show off the years of experience he’s built up. For California’s dab shopper, it’s a chance to smoke some and see what the added entourage terpene levels and entourage effect do to your high.
kaizenextracts.com | @kaizenextracts
This article was originally published in the December 2025 issue of California Leaf.
View our archive on issuu.
