Bring the flavors of Japanese autumn to you—a French Basque cake with chestnuts!
Photos & Text / Miss Canelé
Fruits Cafe Frutas in Monzen-Nakacho offers sundaes made with premium fruits.
September, when autumn deepens, has various meanings in the hearts of the Japanese—Art Autumn, Culture Autumn, Harvest Autumn—but the one most closely tied to daily life is “Food Autumn.”
In Japan, ingredients that represent autumn are countless—chestnuts, persimmons, grapes, pears, matsutake mushrooms, ginkgo nuts, pumpkins, Pacific saury... Seasonal ingredient-based autumn sweets and dishes are refreshed every year, always making people look forward to the season. Today, Miss Canelé will bring you a taste of Japanese autumn through a specialty dessert from the French Basque region.
The Basque region is located at the western end of the Pyrenees in Western Europe, spanning both France and Spain. Today we’re introducing the part of the Basque region within France. The area has its own culture and language (Basque), and due to being surrounded by mountains and influenced by nearby Spain, it has a very unique food culture. One special room-temperature cake from the Basque region is called Gâteau Basque (Japanese: ガトー・バスク), a beloved local treat. Its defining feature is the rich crust on the top, which sometimes features intricate patterns, and the filling can include either pastry cream or preserved cherry jam, and some versions even incorporate local ingredients like ham. It’s a flavor-packed cake with an intense taste.
▲ The first one here is the Gâteau Basque (Japanese: ガトー・バスク)
In Japan, there are only a handful of French patisseries that sell Gâteau Basque, most of which typically use pastry cream as the filling. However, at Pâtisserie du Chef FUJIU, run by Chef Fujiu Fujio, you can find a version filled with chestnuts—the Chestnut Gâteau Basque.
▲ Chef Fujiu’s Gâteau Basque boldly includes whole chestnuts—just the cross-section is enough to make your mouth water.
Though this dessert may not look particularly eye-catching, its rich flavor, crispy crust, smooth pastry cream, and whole chestnut inside make it a wonderful way to enjoy the taste of autumn.
▲ Crispy crust, smooth custard, and sweet chestnuts combine for an exquisite taste.
Moreover, the packaging design of the goods at Pâtisserie du Chef FUJIU is exquisitely beautiful, with cute and textured hand-drawn illustrations. The room-temperature cake gift boxes are perfect for both gifts and personal enjoyment. (Photo shows the display at the temporary Isetan Shinjuku counter, which differs from the in-store setup.)
▲ Beautifully packaged gift boxes of all kinds.
▲ Delightfully cute hand-drawn style that's hard to resist.
▲ If you’re in Tokyo, these adorable dessert gift boxes also make for a unique souvenir.
Next time you visit Tokyo, if you spot a Gâteau Basque, do give this simple yet captivating flavor a try. Also, consider visiting Chef Fujiu’s patisserie, “Pâtisserie du Chef FUJIU,” which not only sells many classic French desserts but also offers charmingly packaged sweet gift boxes.
Shop Information
Official Website:http://www.chef-fujiu.com/index.html
Kofu-Fudomae Main Store
Address: 17-8 Kofu, Hino-shi, Tokyo 191-0031
Business Hours: As of September 10, 2016, the store is undergoing renovation; business hours have been changed to 9:00–20:00
Tachikawa Store
Address: 3-1-1 Shibasaki-cho, Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo 190-0023 (outside the ticket gate of JR Tachikawa Station)
Business Hours: Monday–Saturday 10:00–22:00, Sunday and Japanese national holidays 10:00–21:00
Rating (out of five stars)
Location: ★★★
Taste: ★★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★★
Service: ★★★★
Reasonable prices ★★★★☆
Willingness to revisit ★★★★☆
Author Introduction
Author: Miss Cannéle (Canelé Girl)
Currently based in Tokyo, she studied Japanese sweets, Western-style desserts, and bread in Osaka. She now works in Tokyo teaching courses related to French cuisine. Although she started with pastry, she loves trying all kinds of food and hopes everyone can enjoy delicious meals and life with her joyfully.
Japan Food Travel Info Facebook Page
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