"Patissier Escoyama" 2015 Valentine collection ahead of time! An experience beyond "delicious" was waiting

The 2015 Valentine's Day item unveiling of the popular pastry shop "Pastry Chef Eskoyama" was held in Tokyo the other day.


Susumu Koyama, the owner and chef who has won numerous awards at the world's largest chocolate festival "SALON DU CHOCOLAT PARIS", was ranked highest in "CCC (Club de Croqueurs de Chocolat)" in 2014. Along with "Gold Tablet + ☆", he received the W award for "Excellence chocolatier et ranger", which is the most prestigious foreign chocolatier.

At the unveiling, visitors were presented with four chocolates that won the "Gold Tablet + ☆" and three new chocolates that they worked on since then.


◆ Four "CCC" award-winning works with the theme of all "SENSE"

The theme of the work exhibited at "CCC" this year is "SENSE". It is said that it is a compilation of the senses caught by all five senses against the background of various emotions that occurred in Mr. Koyama's 50 years of life, such as "delicious", "happy", and "fun".

First of all, "2colombie" uses two types of cacao, Sierra Nevada and Tumaco, which are reminiscent of women and men, respectively. The contrast between the two layers with different textures and the balance between bitterness and acidity are exquisite, and I want to eat another one as soon as I finish eating! It is a chocolate that makes you think.


Next is "Sakuranoha & Franboise". From the cherry blossoms that have begun to fall, it seems that it was made with the image of "a woman in a kimono with a beautiful and fragile back." When you put it in your mouth, the scent of cherry blossoms spreads like a balloon. It seems that it is finished without using salt, and the overall gentle taste is fragile. The scenery of spring passing by in an instant came to my mind, and I felt a little sad.


"Kogashi soy sauce" is a chocolate that applies the scent of soy sauce heated on an iron plate just before it burns to chocolate. However, the "Japanese style" is not extruded to the front, but the mellowness and aroma of soy sauce naturally melts into the chocolate, and when you put it in your mouth, it spreads like a rich caramel. The spicy accent is the "Ryotei powder soy sauce" on the toppings.


The last of the four works is "Matcha & Passion Praline". A chocolate with a story that makes use of the time lag until the praline contains water in the mouth and obtains a taste. From the bitterness of matcha to the final fruity acidity, I feel that one grain can be enjoyed for a very long time.


◆ Three new flavors are novel flavors


The remaining three are works that have won the gold medal at the "International Chocolate Awards" American competition and are being exhibited at the world competition. All of them are novel flavors that cannot be imagined with chocolate.

Among them, the one that impressed me was "Kaffir lime leaves". The scent of fresh leaves was transferred to fresh cream, and "I made it as if I were a swallowtail larva." The vivid scent of freshly picked Japanese pepper leaves spreads, which exquisitely enhances the sweetness of chocolate. Certainly, the image of the swallowtail butterfly that I was raising as a child came to my mind, and it was a very interesting experience.




◆ More than 20 new works for Valentine's Day

For Valentine's Day 2015, we have more than 20 new items, including the chocolate assorted products introduced this time. It will be sold sequentially from December to Valentine's Day and White Day.




"Valentine is an event for people who like chocolate regardless of gender," says Koyama. I can't evaluate the taste and technique like the judges of the competition, but it was the first time for me to have a chocolate with a mental landscape when I ate it. Please feel free to enjoy the image that spreads from a small grain!


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