The Five Secret Secrets of Long-established BusinessesNihonbashi (bridge)svarga (heaven-like realm visited as a stage of death and rebirth)Japanese confectionerymint (e.g. peanuts, etc.)
Bringing the best of Japan to the world, and the best of the world to Japan, agatajapan.Japan is one of the few countries in the world where there are more than 33,000 long-established shops that have been in business for a hundred years. In this series of articles, we ask the owners of these long-established stores about the “five secrets” that make them “long-established”. The long-established confectionery we interviewed this time is “Eitaro Sohonjo,” a Japanese confectionery established in 1818 and famous for its “kinzaku” confectionery and “ume boshi” candy.Ginza has luxury goods, and Nihonbashi has first-class goods.”What exactly is the “first-class technique” of Eitaro Sohonshiki, which has walked along with the history of Nihonbashi?
Granite paving at the entrance to the Nihonbashi flagship store is the first thing you will notice when you step into the main store.
Our restaurant was established in 1818, the first year of Bunsei Era. Eitaro I established his store here in 1857.Mr. Makoto Hosoda, the 8th generation head of Eitaro Sohoncho, says so.At the entrance of the store, there is one place where a granite stone different from other tiles is laid. In fact, this is the stone that was laid when the first Eitaro opened the store and has been stepped on by customers for 170 years since then.
The store is designed to resemble a row house in Edo period (1603-1867), with an open kitchen where wagashi artisans demonstrate their craftsmanship, and an adjoining wagashi café, Nihonbashi E-chaya, where customers can casually enjoy sweet treats.
Five secrets of long-established stores No. 1: Remove azuki beans twice.
While there are so many different products on display that it is hard to choose just one, the standout specialty is the “Meidai Kinzubaku.The Erimo azuki beans used for Meidai Kinzubaku are characterized by their dark color and rich flavor. Because azuki beans have a strong acrid taste, we remove the astringency twice to make them tasty and refreshing.
The cooked beans are soaked in honey and allowed to sit overnight. This allows the sugar to permeate the inside of the beans, resulting in a smooth texture.The next day, the densely soaked azuki beans are kneaded. However, that is not the end of the process. The kneaded bean paste is left to rest for one more night. In other words, the azuki beans are prepared over a period of three days.
The five secrets of a long-established shop #2: The skin of the confectioner’s sword is so thin you can see through it.
The skin that wraps the bean paste weighs only 2 grams. The skill is in making the seed as small and thin as possible. Wrapping the bean paste thinly is something that can be done with a little practice, but the tricky part, according to Mr. Hosoda, is to wrap the bean paste in the right way.The fewer times the spatula is inserted, the less likely it is to damage the bean paste. It is important to wrap up the bean paste with the spatula inserted as few times as possible to bring out the flavor of the bean paste itself,” says Hosoda.A craftsman with the title of “Selected Wagashi Craftsman” wraps the sweet bean paste in a small number of steps so as not to crush the bean paste. The dough is then carefully rolled on a copper plate with sesame oil and baked to a fragrant aroma.
Many people may imagine kanzaku to be square in shape, but it was originally round in shape to resemble the brim of a sword. The original shape of kanzaku was to enjoy the taste of the bean paste itself, wrapped in a thin crust.
Five secrets of a long-established shop No. 3: Ume-boshi candy is made all at once over an open fire.
Ume-boshi candy” has a lovely translucent color and small triangles. This is also a standard product that has been passed down from generation to generation at Eitaro Sohonshiki.The taste of the candy is different from others. I eat it before I know it and want to eat as many as I can.”A customer visiting the store told us so.
Umeiboshi candy is also known as “Upeito. Arihirigar is a confectionary introduced from Portugal, which is made by adding syrup to sugar and boiling it down.The process is quite simple. Ingredients are placed in an open kettle and boiled down at once over direct heat. boiling down at a high temperature of about 170-180 degrees Celsius gives the sugar a burnt taste. This gives the candy its caramelized flavor, which is characteristic of the color and taste of Ume Boshi Ame. If too much time is spent, the candy loses its firmness (the finished candy becomes soft), so it is important to finish it at once at a high temperature.I am curious about the origin of the name “Ume Boshi Ame”. Why is it called “Ume-boshi candy” when it does not taste like pickled plums?Originally this candy was only red. When you roll the boiled down candy and cut it, a corner is formed, so you pick it quickly. When Edo people saw such red and wrinkled candy, they started saying, ‘Give me a candy that looks like pickled plums,’ and it was named Ume-boshi candy,” said Hosoda.
Five secrets of a long-established business No. 4: Fruit juice candy using natural ingredients
In addition to Ume Boshi candies, various other types of candies are available in the store. One of the most popular products is a series of fruit juice candies made from fruit juices such as “Amaou,” “Oorin apple,” and “Onshu mandarin orange.
Eitanro Sohonshiki’s fruit juice candies are characterized by the use of freeze-dried natural fruit juice. Since most of the fruit candies distributed in the world use flavoring, acidifiers, and coloring agents to adjust the taste, the Eitanro Sohon Shiki fruit juice candy made only from natural fruit juice may seem a little unsatisfying at first lick. However, the more you lick it, the more the natural fruit flavor gradually comes out. Even the same strawberry candy can taste different depending on the strawberries used. The longer you lick it, the more delicious it becomes, making it a highly reputed gem among our customers.
The Five Secret Secrets of Long-established Businesses No. 5: Utilizing Technology for the Next Generation
The “Hanyuichi” candy has a crispy, wafer-like texture.Eitaro Sohonshiki places importance on the fact that its candies are “delicious even when chewed”. Ume-boshi candy is made crispy by boiling down at high temperature, but it was born from the idea of “What if we make it hold air? The process of kneading the candy with air and then removing the air afterwards creates the crispy texture.
New products are also being created one after another. Sweet Lip” is a candy that looks like lip gloss.The red color of the old Ume Boshi candy was made with food coloring. It was said that when geiko licked the candy in their mouths, it mixed with the red and made their lips glossy. Based on such episodes, we developed this product with the idea that it would be interesting to turn candy into gloss in the modern style,” says Hosoda.
What is the mission of a long-established company?
Mr. Hosoda says it is important to innovate in line with the times, without being complacent about the technology that has been cultivated over the years.
We have to study the changes of the times and the tastes of our customers, and how we can make the most of the technology we have to create new products. I think it is just a repetition of this process.Eitaro Sohon Shojyo, which has accumulated traditional techniques, may be the one who leads the way in the development of “new wagashi” for the next generation.
Starmark CorporationBringing the best of Japan to the world Bringing the best of the world to Japan Bringing the best of tradition to the present Bringing the best of the present to tradition。The video “Five secrets: Eitaro Fuhonshiki version” is available athere (place close to the speaker or where the speaker is)from (e.g. time, place, numerical quantity)
