type
status
date
slug
summary
tags
category
icon
password
We discovered a small specialty store [Ryotaro] located in the Mizuho district of Nagoya, Japan, which has been popular with locals since it opened for business in 2018. This bakery looks mediocre from the outside, and its products are not known for their sophistication. However, it has one unique feature that attracts countless customers, and that's the homemade “koji”-based flavored yeast made by the owner, Ryotaro Watanabe.
🤗 01 Japanese youngsters in love with koji flavors
Koji is an ancient kanji character that we now prefer to call qu, and was used in ancient times mainly for brewing wine, which converts starch into glucose. When koji was introduced to Japan, it quickly gained popularity thanks to its fermentation power, and was used in everyday food production, creating a series of Japanese food cultures centered around the word “koji”.
It is said that koji produces more than 30 types of enzymes, including amylase, protease, lipase, and pectinase, and is rich in vitamins and promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria such as lactobacilli. This is probably one of the major factors that led to the introduction of koji into the baking field and the popularity of “koji bread” in Japan.
On the other hand, the Japanese market has also been on a quest for healthier baking.
In the late 2010s, koji appeared in the media and at health-related events as a fermented food, and because it is easy to digest and has intestinal-environment-regulating qualities, it was widely recognized as a “health food” in the Japanese consumer market. In the bakery industry, the hot pursuit of natural yeast and the rejection of additive-free foods have led to an increase in the popularity of bread recipes and products using koji.
On the other hand, it is the innovative raw materials that bring about a high level of publicity and creative use.
The new concept of baking brought about by koji bread may be similar to that of our “health bread,” with its creativity, publicity, and functionality, which has led to its widespread popularity on the Internet, as well as to bakeries and organic food stores starting to do large-scale product upgrades and many family recipes introducing how to make koji bread easily at home. Many family recipes introduced how to make koji bread easily at home, further promoting the popularity of koji bread.
One of the leading bakeries that specializes in the development of bread using koji is [Ryotaro], mentioned above.
🤗 02 Homemade Koji yeast
A unique flavor that has captivated all of Japan
The Mizuho district is one of the most inwardly curled areas for bakeries in Nagoya City, and [Ryotaro], a neighborhood store located near a residential area, has been popular since it opened in 2018, with long lines since it opened and still having to wait in line on a regular basis.
The exterior of the bakery is beautifully minimalist, with very simple wooden décor accented with bouquets of flowers, as if it were a fairytale house in a country town in Europe, with a few chairs placed outside to make you want to spend an afternoon drowsy. The interior is also filled with a quaint atmosphere. A variety of bread displays are lined up directly on the tables, and in order to ensure the shopping experience, only up to three groups of customers are allowed in at a time.
The talented manager traveled to France after training at Maisonkayser, and after returning to Japan, he opened RYOTARO Fusion Bakery, combining Japanese fermented foods such as rice crackers, barley crackers, miso, mirin, etc., with French baking techniques to create a bread category that is uniquely his own brand. Although there is no special signboard, the bakery has attracted many overseas customers by word of mouth.
Managing Director RYOTARO WATANABE
“The fresh flavor produced by koji suits the Japanese. I think it's a flavor rooted in their DNA.” Ryotaro Watanabe, the main producer, says, “Not only does it taste better, but the enzymes in the koji break down starch into sugar and protein into amino acids at the dough stage, which makes it easier to digest and better for the intestines. It's also easier on the body to eat. The charm of not getting tired of it no matter how many times you eat it is the power of the koji.”
At the RYOTARO bakery, koji is used in 50 to 60 types of bread baked every day.
Each loaf comes with a label clearly indicating the ingredients used. There are also many types of sweet breads, such as side dish bread and red bean paste bread, but their main purpose is to give you a taste of the dough.
Depending on the type of bread, different types of currant flavoring are used. French bread is made with soybean miso, Mikawa mirin, liquor, soy sauce koji, and koji broth. "Country bread is made with koji stock, soy sauce koji, and soybean miso. Croissants are made with soy sauce koji, barley koji, and soybean miso. Toast is seasoned with homemade fermented seasonings such as koji...
Gammon quarters prepared for toast and koji toast, soup seeds made from French wheat and rye + spelt.
Dough for koji bread. Made from kanji and shoyu koji, it has a chewy, fresh flavor with a slightly sour taste.
🤗 03 Japanese flavor combined with French technique Specialty Breads
If you ask the regular customers or the main manager of [Ryotaro], you can only buy one bread, which one to choose? Probably everyone would tell you without hesitation, buy it buy it buy it, this antique kosode.
Each layer of this koso is so thick that the space between the layers seems to float, and has the ultimate crunchy feel, with the texture and sweetness of a thin, crispy cookie, and an unforgettable rich and gentle buttery flavor.
The main manager says, “I traveled the streets of Nagoya to make something that other stores don't have. It's like gently spreading butter on a baguette. I imagined a 'test piece' made by the people who first made kosode.”
The type of flour used in [RYOTARO] stores is often a mixture of many kinds of Japanese wheat flour.
To bring out the flavor of the wheat, add a little sugar and olive oil to the cooked baguette dough and fold it that morning (usually the day before or a few days in advance and let it rest in the refrigerator). The oleic acid in olive oil prevents the butter from oxidizing. The olive oil gives it a rich but not overpowering citrus flavor.
食パンtoast
This toast combines the rich sweetness of a pound cake with the fresh ginger-like aroma that comes from long maturation. The slightly crispy and sweet edges are intoxicating. The interior texture is both tender and fluffy. The web of bubbles melts in your mouth, and you feel the rich creaminess and wheat flavor.
Both products are hot sellers in the store, and both use a barley tune from Aichi Prefecture, the main manager's hometown, which breaks down wheat starch into sugar. “ Regarding the amount of sugar added, it has been said that humans begin to feel sweetness at 5% and deliciousness at 8%. I would like to reduce the granulated sugar to about 5% and supplement the remaining 3% with the power of the qu. Achieve the sweetness that Japanese people love.”
Jagapan
“Jagapan” is a mixture of potatoes in the dough, which is indescribably soft, melts in your mouth, turns into porridge instantly, and exudes sweetness like sweet potatoes. The mastermind was so interested in potato bread that he continued to develop this product for three years. He buys potatoes directly from farmers in his hometown, as many of them do not use pesticides when they grow them. The more delicious and original potato flavor gives the product a natural and healthy state, and the curves add a natural sweetness to this bread.
Rustic bread with the aroma of rye and a delicious crunch is a hard bread made from French wheat, Mikawa mirin, soy sauce mash, and Hatcho miso. The bread is chewy and has a good flavor.
There are tons of figs and whole nuts in there, the cross section looks super satisfying and the red wine kneaded into the dough creates the perfect balance. The chewy dough goes very well with the generous amount of toppings.
A beautiful baguette, using a French wheat and triple wheat blend, with a firm texture, rich flavor on the outside, and a chewy interior.
Hokkaido Tokachi wheat flour, butter, sake, soy sauce koji, and soybean miso are sandwiched between lemon and cream cheese. The sour and bitter taste of lemon is added to the dough, and the taste of fermented food is intricately intertwined with the nostalgic flavor.
A dish of soft and chewy focaccia dough mixed with three cheeses: mozzarella, grana padano and mimolette. It has a very strong flavor and is a must if you like cheese!
Gorgonzola, Walnut and Honey Bread
The bread has a firm texture and contains rich Gorgonzola cheese, walnuts and honey. The rich flavor of the cheese is complemented by the delicate sweetness of the honey and the walnuts. This is a unique product that is both a side bread and a sweet bread.
A bread with a fairly large sausage sandwiched between hard organic wheat dough. The sausage is very juicy and satisfying to eat, and you can taste the strong peppery, innovative flavor!
People start lining up at 10am every day and it's almost sold out by the afternoon, so keep an eye on the time if you want to buy one!
Address：21-1 Ihara-yama, Yafu-machi, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture
Business hours: 10:00～18:00
Regular holiday: Monday/Tuesday
Per capita consumption: 1000-3000 yen
- Author:japan guides
- URL:https://japan-guides.com/article/diet-70
- Copyright:All articles in this website, except for special statements, adopt BY-NC-SA agreement. Please indicate the source!