[Choose Your Own] Seed Confection 2-Box Set *Free shipping within Japan

A companion for your blissful adult downtime

Enjoy it not only with Japanese or black tea, but also paired with your favorite specialty coffee during a break from work or housework, or even with fine spirits like wine, brandy, or whiskey during a special evening. We also recommend it as a topping for yogurt or ice cream. Because of its simple flavor, you can discover your own unique way to enjoy it.

Furthermore, this is a treat that can be shared and enjoyed by everyone, including those with dietary restrictions such as major allergies or those who are vegetarian.

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SHUKA is a simple, sophisticated confection made only from seeds and sugar. Its packaging embodies this world view, stripping away excessive decoration to feature only the logo and colors inspired by each seed. Since "candying" is an ancient food preservation technique, the fact that it keeps at room temperature without any modern preservatives makes it a recommended choice for gifts and souvenirs.

Seeds and sugar only

SHUKA is produced using the ancient food preservation technique of "candying." The only ingredients used are seeds and sugar. We use no modern preservatives, nor do we use any artificial coloring or bleaching agents.

Leaves just the right amount of the seeds' natural texture.

First, the ingredients are simmered to hydrate them. While it is common in traditional Japanese confectionery to simmer ingredients as softly as possible to ensure they melt in the mouth, at SHUKA, we use a unique, extensively researched process to preserve not only the original shape and color of the seeds but also their texture, resulting in a firm, al dente mouthfeel.

Slowly soaked for three days

Next, we make a syrup and soak the ingredients in it. Due to the physical phenomenon known as osmosis, the moisture inside the ingredients is replaced by the sugar in the syrup, causing the sugar to gradually penetrate the material. This process stops once the sugar concentration inside the ingredients balances with the sugar concentration in the surrounding syrup.

Applying this principle, we repeat the process of increasing the sugar concentration of the syrup and soaking the ingredients to allow the sugar to penetrate to the core. This process takes about three days.

Wasanbon, a sugar unique to Japan.

Finally, to improve ease of consumption and shelf life, we let it sit overnight to dry the surface. For this process, we use Wasanbon, a sugar unique to Japan. It is a product that has been passed down since the Edo period, made from "Chikutou," a domestic variety of sugarcane.

By sprinkling it on just right, we promote surface drying while coating it in the gentle flavor of the sugar. The amount used is finely adjusted by our artisans based on the temperature and humidity of the day to achieve the perfect balance.

In this way, it takes about four days from the initial preparation for a single SHUKA to be completed.

SHUKA uses only seeds and sugar. Therefore, we carefully select each individual ingredient, using only those of value to pass on to future generations. Specifically, we judge them based on the following three criteria:

1. We know the producers personally
2. There is respect for nature
3. A passion for quality

From "Anything but an amanatto shop"
to "It has to be me"

I was born the eldest son of the Torokuya family in Kyoto, purveyors of the Japanese confectionery known as "amanatto." The business was founded in 1926, the first year of the Showa era, by my great-grandmother, Sueno Kondo.

However, I used to think, "The only thing I don't want to be is an amanatto maker!" This was because, when I was in junior high, I was teased about my family's business by someone who said, "Sweet natto is gross." Being at such a sensitive age, I started to feel embarrassed about it and began hiding the fact that my family ran an amanatto shop.

The value of amanatto. A newfound sense of mission.

After graduating, I spent two years working at a large, long-established confectionery shop, where I observed many different Japanese and Western sweets before joining the family business at age 26. My first impression of amanatto was, "How old-fashioned." It felt particularly lacking in glamour compared to Western sweets, with its coating of copious sugar and packaging that looked like any ordinary bag you'd find anywhere.

Sharing Amanatto with the world

To ensure it continues as a culture, it is necessary to change this image and pass it on, especially to the younger generation. Thinking about how to achieve this, I vaguely thought that gaining recognition abroad might create an impact. I decided to exhibit at the Slow Food world event held every two years in Italy. Slow Food is a grassroots movement originating in Italy that aims to preserve and pass on rich regional food cultures. With local foods gathering from all over the world, amanatto was a perfect fit.

Build a brand that resonates globally.

So, I sought advice from Masashichi Nakagawa, Chairman of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, who is renowned for his work in business revitalization and branding for traditional crafts. He listened to everything—the history of our amanatto, its current situation, and my own vision.

As we proceeded with the consulting sessions, the vague uncertainties I had been carrying were distilled into a clear concept: "Lending a hand to nature's bounty." Furthermore, inspired by Chairman Nakagawa’s remark, "When you break down amanatto, it's just beans and sugar; fundamentally, it’s 'seeds' and 'sugar,' isn't it?", we arrived at the brand name "SHUKA," which succinctly expresses that essence.