Interview with Domoto Kayoko, the baked goods specialist, and Hashihara Emi, the jam specialist
We spoke with Domoto Kayoko, the baked goods specialist, and Hashihara Emi, the jam specialist, who work at the Miyake Shoten Cafe Workshop, which is a unique space renovated from a Nagaya gate.
The artisans supporting Miyake Shoten
Please tell us about your backgrounds.
Hashihara
Both of us graduated from the same confectionery school in Kansai.
We have worked at Miyake Shoten in Honmachi, Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum, and the waterfront cafe Miyake Shoten in Sakatsu, and came here with the opening of the Miyake Shoten Cafe Workshop.
What surprised me while working here is that Okayama has a wide variety of fruits.
Being from outside the prefecture, I can truly appreciate the luxury of the fruits.
I was particularly surprised by how often I could enjoy peaches and grapes, which I had thought of as high-end fruits.
I love how close the fruits are to us.
Seasonal jams and baked goods
Do you have any particular commitment to jams and baked goods?
Hashihara
We make jams using seasonal fruits, creating products that align with daily life and the seasons.
We buy fruits that are slightly damaged and would normally be discarded, using them at a fair price. We are using them luxuriously.
For example, we handle about 2 tons of peaches in total during the season, and we do all the peeling and pitting here in the workshop.
Additionally, we effectively utilize the fruit peels to make pizza dough at the waterfront cafe Miyake Shoten.
We make homemade yeast using the peels and use it in the pizza dough.
Domoto
The fruits we handle vary by season.
In summer, we have peaches, and in the upcoming season, we will have Pione grapes and figs, and in autumn, chestnuts will come in.
We also incorporate seasonal fruits into our baked goods.
For pound cake ingredients, we use new ginger in early summer, white peaches in summer, and lemons in winter to reflect the seasons.
We also include seasonal ingredients in financiers and florentines.
Sometimes there are struggles
Do you face any challenges?
Domoto
Since we handle fruits, there are challenges in that regard.
For example, even with the same peach, the sweetness changes depending on the variety.
We need to adjust the acidity based on what we are handling, and we need to understand the varieties.
Additionally, the baking results can change with temperature and humidity, so adjustments are necessary there as well.
Valuing connections with farmers
You source fruits from farmers in Okayama and nearby areas, right?
Hashihara
Yes, we source from local contracted farmers.
Miyake Shoten wants to value connections and collaboration with farmers, so we sometimes visit the farmers directly.
Meeting the farmers directly allows us to learn things we wouldn't know just by being in the workshop.
When we meet farmers who grow crops organically or with reduced pesticides, we can feel the care and love they put into their work.
I have also helped with lemon harvesting.
Hashihara
We use an Italian vacuum oven for making jams.
This oven can create a vacuum inside, allowing us to cook jams at a low temperature of 70 degrees.
Cooking in a vacuum helps maintain the beautiful colors.
Additionally, because it is done in a vacuum, the aroma and flavor are preserved, which pleases the farmers as well.
Domoto
Seeing how deliciously they can make the fruits we have grown.
Many farmers are delighted to see their lovingly grown fruits transformed into products that are sold.
Seeing their joy makes us feel a sense of responsibility to do our best.
Enjoying jams and baked goods
What are your thoughts when making jams and baked goods?
Hashihara
Originally, I was baking bread at the waterfront cafe Miyake Shoten.
When I thought about what would go well with bread, I decided to make jams and baked goods.
That's how jams and baked goods were born.
I was making them at Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum, but since the Miyake Shoten Cafe Workshop opened, I have been making them here.
I create them with the hope that people can enjoy the cafe's flavors at home.
Domoto
For example, jams are used at home for making parfaits or served with dishes.
Of course, I hope they are also used as souvenirs.
Some people receive them as souvenirs and then purchase them for themselves because they were delicious.
We have an online shop, so you can buy from anywhere in the country.
Hashihara
I would be happy if they could also be used as gifts.
We have a two-layer jam in red and white, which is sometimes used for wedding gifts or celebratory occasions.
It is also popular as a Mother's Day gift.
Conclusion
Miyake Shoten Cafe Workshop, which handles processed products such as jams and baked goods, is part of a series of cafes.
Used as souvenirs and gifts, and with an online shop available, I had imagined a large steel factory until the interview.
However, in reality, it is a workshop renovated from a building that has been an important part of the community for a long time.
The cafe workshop, which values the connections with farmers while preserving the building that is a treasure of the community, is a unique and precious workshop.
I hope that the jams and baked goods made in this small workshop in Sakatsu will continue to bring smiles to many people.
