What do you often buy as souvenirs when you travel? Of course, it depends on the local specialty of the place you visit, so it will probably be different in each place. It will be completely different in Japan and abroad. It may not be food. But, for example, in Taiwan, pineapple cake is probably one of the classics. Whenever I go to Taipei, I always stop by the Patisserie at Okura Prestige Taipei and buy a pineapple cake as a souvenir. Yes, sweets are the best souvenirs for travel, aren't they? However, they need to be able to last for a certain amount of time. That's why pineapple cake is chosen.
Now, I always go on a three-day, two-night trip at the beginning of September every year. So, at the beginning of this year, I thought that the COVID-19 pandemic would be over before the Olympics, and since I wasn't able to go to Taipei last year and went to Shizuoka, I wanted to go to Seoul this year and booked a hotel early. However, things seemed a bit ominous, and instead of improving, it just got worse and worse. So early in June, I gave up on Seoul, canceled my hotel reservation, and decided to switch to a domestic trip. So, when I thought about where to go, the first thing that came to mind was a trip to Matsumoto and Suwa in Nagano Prefecture, each staying overnight.
Last year, the purpose of my trip to Shizuoka was to visit Shizuoka City, the hometown of my late parents. I was born in Tokyo because of my father's job, which required a lot of transfers. I have never lived in Shizuoka. I had not been to Shizuoka since both my parents passed away, so I thought this was a good opportunity. Also, I had read in the Japanese edition of the restaurant rating book "Gault & Millau" that an excellent French restaurant called "Kawasaki" had opened in Shizuoka City. I couldn't help but go there.
This year, I wanted to go to Kami-Suwa, where I spent seven years from age three to ten. Shizuoka is where I have never lived, but it is my roots. I decided to continue my journey to Suwa, where I spent my childhood, to look back on my life. Also, the May 2021 issue of Discover Japan magazine, which featured Kawasaki, featured Matsumoto Jujo, a renovated inn in Asama Onsen, so I wanted to stay at the Matsumoto Honbako book hotel and enjoy Shinshu gastronomy overseen by Christopher Houghton, who was influenced by Copenhagen's Noma , at the hotel's main dining room, 365+2. Of course, I had visited Asama Onsen with my parents when I was in Suwa.
Well, I went to Shizuoka and Suwa, places that at first glance seem very different in terms of local characteristics, but I bought "yokan" as souvenirs from both. For me, when it comes to sweets that I remember from Shizuoka, the first thing that comes to mind is Sekibeya, the original "Abekawa Mochi" shop, located near Abekawa Bridge near my mother's parents' house. My grandfather would take me for a walk along the Abekawa River with my cousins, and we would stop by Sekibeya to eat Abekawa Mochi before going home. When I visited last year, the appearance hadn't changed, and the tatami seats where you can eat on the dirt floor were still there. However, I don't like Abekawa Mochi (especially the ones covered in soybean flour, which makes my mouth dry and makes me choke), so my favorite is "Karami Mochi," which is mochi lightly crushed into shiratama-like balls, served floating in boiled water, and eaten with wasabi soy sauce. The surface melts slightly, and the sweetness of the mochi itself is enhanced by the wasabi soy sauce, which I have to say is exquisite. Unfortunately, even the souvenir Abekawa Mochi has a best-before date on the same day, and Karami Mochi cannot be taken home.
So, what souvenirs will I buy? Oiwake Yokan. There is a place called Oiwake between Shimizu and Shizuoka on the old Tokaido road, and even today, along that road, there is an old main store of Oiwake Yokan. I usually buy it at the station kiosk, but recently I go out by car and eat eel at a restaurant called Yoshikawa, which is a little further along the road, so I stop by the main store of Oiwake on either the way there or the way back to buy it. Yoshikawa is also a venerable store that was visited by Shimizu Jirocho and Saigo Takamori, but Oiwake Yokan is a very old store that was founded in 1695. It is said that Tokugawa Yoshinobu and Shimizu Jirocho, who retired to Suruga, both liked it, and it was also a favorite of the manga artist Sakura Momoko, who was born in Shimizu.
The uniquely springy texture of yokan wrapped in bamboo skin is a real favorite of mine since I was a child, as the aroma and taste of the bamboo skin is transferred to the yokan. In recent years, it has been vacuum packed, so it keeps well, and when I get home and eat a piece at a time every morning, I really feel that when I think of yokan, I think of Oiwake yokan.
On the other hand, on my trip to Matsumoto and Suwa this year, for some reason, I also brought back yokan as a souvenir. It was the "Shio Yokan" from Shintsuru, a shop next to the Akimiya Shrine of Shimo-Suwa, Suwa Taisha. Shintsuru, founded in 1873, is said to be the originator of Shio Yokan. The bean paste is solidified using natural agar from the local town of Chino, making this a specialty confectionery unique to Suwa. I used to eat this a lot when I lived in Suwa. It was more than half a century ago, and Western confectionery was still rare at the time. I was given a copy of "Chocolate War" ( 1965 ) by children's author Oishi Makoto, and I had a great admiration for Western confectionery when I read it. Along with the Western confectionery souvenirs my father would bring home, this Shio Yokan was a slightly luxurious souvenir. What was strange was that it was a grayish color, even though it was called yokan. And, as its name suggests, it had an exquisite saltiness that was floating in the sweetness. Because it uses agar, the texture is firm and chewy, in contrast to Oiwake Yokan. However, the taste is light and the sweetness is subdued, so you can eat a lot of it. The reason it is not red bean color is because the skin of the red beans is removed to remove the bitterness.
I went to the "Shintsuru" main store for the first time in my life. This store also has a rustic appearance and is located next to a shrine, so it has a certain charm. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were few people there and it was comfortable. This one lasts about five days in the summer. I ate one slice every morning from the day after I got home and finished it in five days.
Surprisingly, I realized that yokan has been an important gourmet food in my life and that I am a yokan lover.
This month's recommended wine
"Chablis: the epitome of dry white wine"
"Chablis Terroir de Belle 2017 Chateau de Belle" 5,500 yen (excluding tax)
The name "Chablis" may be synonymous with dry white wine. "Raw oysters and Chablis." It is said that the strong acidity of the wine acts as a sterilizer. In fact, Chablis is produced in limestone soil made of fossils of shellfish such as oysters, called "Kimmeridgian," so it is even more reminiscent of oysters. By the way, Chablis is made from Chardonnay. Yes, Chablis is a Burgundy wine, but it is not located in the heart of Burgundy, the "Côte d'Or," nor in the so-called Burgundy region from Dijon to Lyon. It is located in the Yonne department, an exclave in the northwest, and is sometimes called the "island of grapes." The limestone soil is rich in minerals, so the acidity stands out because it adds a metallic nuance to the acidity. There is also a more fruity and affordable wine called "Petit Chablis" made from soil that is not Kimmeridgian, which is meant to be drunk young. Chablis itself seems to range from the very best to the Grand Cru. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks or glass-coated cement tanks, and barrels are used for aging. The more expensive the wine, the more it tastes like it has been aged in a barrel. Therefore, the taste is based on a fruity, acidic flavor and minerality, with the barrel being a plus.
The Chateau de Belle we are introducing this time is a winery run by the family of Belle, a village of about 60 people located east of Chablis. Its history is said to be over 400 years old, but the current style is organic, natural wines produced by Ms. Athène, who took over the chateau in 2005. The 2017 vintage has an exquisite harmony of acidity, minerals, and oak, resulting in a soft finish for Chablis. It is only available in limited areas, so please take this opportunity to try it.
For inquiries about the wines featured,
To AVICO Co., Ltd.
Biography
Osamu Seki Born in Tokyo in 1961. Currently a part-time lecturer at Meiji University and other institutions.
He specializes in contemporary French thought and cultural theory, and is a director of the Reefer Wine Association.
His books include "An Introduction to Beautiful Men" (Natsume Shobo) and "My Neighbor is Arashi-kun" (Cyzo), and his translations include "How Should We Read Foucault?" by Oksara (Shinsensha) and "Mr. Pydrow, What Use Is a Gastronomic Critic?" by Pydrowski (Shinsensha).
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