INDEX
Chocolate cake with a lingering Japanese flavor that makes your heart dance
Celeina: I’m really interested in the Stollen, but today we have Mr. Sakai’s recommended Christmas cake in the studio!
Takano: Welcome! (haha) Where is this cake from?
Sakai: It’s Bush Natura from Park Hyatt Tokyo. Bush means stump, and this cake is like a bûche de Noël. It’s a cake with a refreshing taste that also has a chocolate and citrus flavor that says it’s inspired by the forest.
Celeina: I see. And it is already set in front of us in the studio. May I taste it? I’ll have some! The outside is crispy and the inside is fluffy.
Takano: Very elegant sweetness. What is this citrus?
Sakai: This is yuzu. It is made by a French chef named Julien, and the sweets he makes are really delicious. He is very good at combining French pastries with Japanese essence, and that is why the yuzu is so good. It is sweet, but there is a refreshing aftertaste of Japanese yuzu in it, which is a wonderful design that is typical of Julien.
Celeina: It’s very delicious.
Takano: The fresh aroma spreads in your mouth so much.
Celeina: But it’s not too mature, and it’s not too sweet.
Takano: The balance of not too sweet is amazing.
Celeina：You hit the perfect balance between sweet and not too sweet.
Takano: Can I have a cup of coffee? (haha)
Celeina： Why do you recommend this cake?
Sakai: I think chocolate cake is something that can only be made in winter. In the cold winter, you sometimes feel like having rich chocolate at home. It’s hard to find a cake with a fresh yuzu aftertaste and a lingering aftertaste, but the yuzu marmalade jam that Julien made is really delicious, so I chose Bush Natura because I wanted people to spend winter feeling the rich cocoa and warmth of the yuzu.
Takano: It really has a great aftertaste. The yuzu has a reverb on it (laughs). I’m glad it feels like it stays in my mouth forever.
Celeina: It makes me want to eat more.
Takano: Then let’s go to the music here. I asked Mr. Sakai to select the song. May I ask the reason for the song selection?
Sakai: One reason is that Janet Jackson will be coming to Japan next year for the first time in many years. Another reason is that Michael Jackson was my favorite artist of my youth, and I listened to him a lot in my childhood, and I wanted to hear him again.
Takano: Now, please introduce the songs.
Sakai: “Scream” by Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.
