A circle of friends connected by goo touch! The “FIST BUMP” corner of the radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features people who live and enjoy Tokyo in a relay format.
On December 11th, Yutaro Sakai, editor-in-chief of sweets media “ufu.” appeared. We asked him about his love for sweets, his recommended sweets, and what he hopes to convey through his work as editor-in-chief of “ufu.”.
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It all started with that ice cream with lemon rings.
Celeina (MC): First of all, let me introduce Mr. Sakai’s profile: After graduating from Rikkyo University in 2010, Mr. Sakai worked as an editor for the childcare magazine “Hiyoko Club” before joining Benesse Corporation’s “Sankyu!” Editorial Department. He then launched the editorial department of the sweets media “ufu.” in 2020 and became its editor-in-chief. His favorite sweets are shortcakes and chocolates.
Recently, as a sweets producer, he has been working extensively in development, consulting, and product management through sweets. He has appeared on “Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai” and has shared his love of sweets in various media.
Takano (MC): When did you get hooked on sweets?
Sakai: I have loved sweets since I was a child, but it wasn’t until I became a working adult that I really got into it. When I did a special feature on convenience stores for a magazine, I was amazed at how particular they were about their sweets, and how much research went into making them. After that, I was fascinated by the world of patisseries, restaurants, and many other types of confectionery. At first, I got hooked on ice cream.
Takano: Ice cream!
Celeina: I’m curious. What flavor was it?
Sakai: At that time, I really liked “Sacré Lemon” or something like that. I surprisingly liked something refreshing.
Celeina: It’s something that has been around for a long time, but you mean it’s a flavor that you rediscovered when you became a working adult.
Sakai: That’s right. I thought it was amazing that there were slices of lemon in it.
Takano: It is also interesting that it did not start out as a creamy sweet. Now you say you like shortcakes and chocolates.
Sakai: I didn’t originally like fresh cream for shortcakes either, but it all started when I had a shortcake at AVRANCHES GUESNAY in Kasuga and thought it was delicious. Since then, I came to love it, saying “whipped cream from a good store is really delicious.
Takano: I guess whipped cream is different.
Sakai: It is totally different. Some people think it’s heavy, but I don’t feel that at all. You can eat it easily, and before you know it, it’s gone.
Celeina: I am in charge of sweets in the program, and we once held a snack festival called “Sunasoni” but listening to Mr.Sakai’s talk, I realized that I still have a lot to learn.
Takano: Maybe you should become my apprentice.
Sakai: By all means!
Celeina: Please teach me a lot!
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Everyday with evolving sweets
Takano: I heard that you eat sweets every day.
Sakai: I often eat sweets, partly because of my job and partly because I personally like them. Yesterday, I had a private Stollen eating contest and collected 25.
Celeina: Even if you only collect one slice, that’s still 25 slices, right?
Takano: That sounds like a bit of a full meal.
Sakai: I couldn’t eat dinner anymore (haha).
Takano: But you are happy!
Celeina: Are you addicted to Stollen these days?
Sakai: Yes, I am. I think they are very popular this year. It was not that familiar in Japan, but recently bakeries, pastry shops, and restaurants are starting to serve it.
There are stollen with a beautiful cross-section, or strawberry on the top and chocolate on the bottom, like the Apollo of sweets, and it is evolving rapidly. That was interesting, and it was a lot of fun to compare them with everyone.
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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.
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Sweets deepened by the philosophy of the creator
Takano: I have been looking at the website of “ufu.” for which you are the editor-in-chief, and it is interesting to see the various categories.
Sakai: Yes, they are. It’s maniacal, for example a canure club, but I think each confectionery has its own theme, so I thought I would delve deeper into one by one.
Takano: It’s like a club. So you have a restaurant club and a bread club?
Celeina: I’m interested in the convenience store sweets club.
Takano: That sounds great.
Celeina: I’ll have to check this out.
Takano: Mr. Sakai, you also produce and jointly develop sweets. Can we buy those sweets at “ufu.”?
Sakai: There is a cookie called “Komugi no Oishii Okashi” that is also available at Matsuya Ginza, and now you can buy it online at “ufu.”. We had the famous illustrator Kanako Shirao draw an illustration for the cookie cans, and we also produce art and sweets as a theme in this way.
Takano: Sounds like a good souvenir or something.
Celeina：Yes, it is indeed good. When I talk with Mr. Sakai, I really feel the creator’s way of thinking, philosophy, and story. Does that mean that the sweets taste even better when you know more about them?
Sakai: Each confectionary has its own history, philosophy, and story. There are many other things, such as encounters with ingredients, and we are definitely interested in conveying these to the public through our media.
Celeina：I would like everyone to get to know this world view through “ufu.” Now, you have introduced your friends to us in the “FIST BUMP” circle of friends connected by goo touch, but what kind of friends are they?
Sakai: This is Chef Ryosuke Sugamata of Ryoura, a French pastry shop in Yoga.
Takano: In a word, what kind of person is Mr. Sugamata?
Sakai: He is a craftsman who makes the best cakes in Japan.
Takano: I am looking forward to it. Tomorrow, we welcome Chef Ryosuke Sugamata of Ryoura.
Celeina： “FIST BUMP”, today we welcome Yutaro Sakai, editor-in-chief of sweets media “ufu.”. Thank you for a delicious time.
GRAND MARQUEE
J-WAVE (81.3FM) Mon-Thu 16:00 – 18:50
Navigator: Shinya Takano, Celeina Ann
