At this time of year, I always have lunch with my high school classmates at "Scandiya" on Yokohama's Kaigan-dori, but this time, one of the participants said he wanted to eat "Savarin" at "Bashamichi Jubankan" in Tokiwacho after the meal, so we went out. "Savarin" is a tough choice, I thought.

More than half a century ago, when I was a child, cream puffs, eclairs, and shortcakes were lined up in the showcases of local cake shops. I think the standard items were Mont Blanc, which used chestnut paste, and Savarin, which is similar in shape to Mont Blanc but has a completely different dough. Both Mont Blanc and Savarin are brioche-shaped, with Mont Blanc using a regular sponge cake and Savarin using a brioche dough. Mont Blanc is made by piping chantilly cream on top of a sponge base, which is then topped with chestnut paste similar to chestnut paste, and a single canned chestnut on top.

"Savarin" is made by removing the navel of a brioche, squeezing Chantilly cream on it, and placing the navel on top instead of the navel. The brioche dough is soaked in rum syrup that has had the alcohol evaporated, so that when you put a fork in it, the syrup drips out.

I don't think I would have chosen this cake for my children, as it has a hint of alcohol and doesn't contain much cream, so I thought it was more of an adult cake, but for someone like me who doesn't like dry things, it's moist, juicy, and easy to eat. That's why I thought I would never be able to forgive the dry "Savarin" that skimped on the rum syrup.

Savarin is "a cake made by soaking raisin-free baba in syrup and rum, sandwiching crème chantilly or fruit between the pieces. It was invented in 1845 by the Julien brothers, famous pastry chefs of the time, and named after the gourmet Brillat-Savarin" (French Food Encyclopedia, Hakusuisha). Savarin died in 1826 , so the cake was likely a homage to him. There is also a theory that the first savarin in Japan was made in Yokohama, which may explain why savarin is a specialty of Bashamichi Jubankan, an impressive building that evokes the history of Yokohama.

Well, as the definition above says, "Baba is soaked in syrup and rum," if you translate it directly into French it becomes "Baba au Rhomme," which is a dish you often see in restaurant desserts. "Baba" seems to have originated in Poland, and since "Kugelhopf" is dry, it is soaked in rum or kirsch.

It is said that around 1836 , pastry chef Strehler opened a shop on Rue Montorgueil in Paris and introduced Baba (ibid.).

When I read the explanation, I think there is not much difference between the two, as Chantilly cream appears in both. The "Baba au Rhomme" served in restaurants is a dessert dish, so Chantilly cream is often served with the baba.

The "Savarin" at Bashamichi Jubankan had a unique shape. It looked like a "small bun" and I recognized it as an oval coin. Indeed, a bun would have a slit in the middle and Chantilly cream sandwiched in between. It wasn't just the shape that was unique; there were also about three raisins kneaded into the top as a seal. Also, as I said it was an "oval coin," it was an extremely small pastry, which gave a different impression from the heavy, satisfying "Savarin" I ate as a child. Of course, it was lavishly topped with rum-flavored syrup, which made it delicious.

Come to think of it, with a brioche-shaped Savarin, the syrup sinks to the bottom over time, so when you start eating it, the top part is quite dry, but as you get to the bottom, the syrup gets soaked and pools in the thick foil wrapper. In comparison, with this oval-shaped one, the syrup seemed to seep out more evenly. It's always juicy and delicious when you eat it. I see, that's what I thought. However, it's still a little too small and unsatisfying. A Savarin really needs to have a certain amount of volume.

In that respect, the best Savarin I can remember was from the Imperial Hotel's delicatessen, Gargantua. The Story of Gargantua by Rabelais, a representative writer of the French Renaissance, is also full of episodes related to fine food and is said to be one of the masterpieces of gastronomic literature. The hotel's shop, named after the work, sells bread, sweets, and prepared foods. The beef pie is the best, and at the Imperial Hotel, Chaliapin pie is famous, but I remember being impressed by the Savarin. It was a simple, straightforward, and highly refined version of the Savarin I had eaten as a child.

By the way, did you know that the Chaliapin steak originated at the Imperial Hotel? In 1936 , the Russian bass singer Chaliapin stayed at the hotel, and he had bad teeth, so he pounded the beef thoroughly, marinated it in grated onion, and finished it into a tender steak. It is served with onion sauce. When I was in the upper grades of elementary school and living in Kobe, I loved the Chaliapin steak at a restaurant near my company accommodation, and whenever I had guests over to eat out, I hoped it would be at that restaurant.

Before I knew it, I no longer bought "Savarin" even to eat cake at home. Meanwhile, I find myself wanting to order "Baba au Rhomme" at a French restaurant. Generally, the dessert "Baba au Rhomme" is a dessert with a strong alcoholic taste, with a strong rum flavor.

The "Baba au Rhomme" with plenty of Chantilly cream and rum is not bad, but I would like to try the delicate "Baba au Rhomme" made with brioche dough and plenty of eggs. The rum is not too strong.

When I was a child, "Savarin" was lined up in the cake shops in town. It was a supporting role, but somehow it had a strong presence, and yet it also had a somewhat cheap feel to it... Where is this "Savarin" with such a complex appearance now?