[Choose Your Own] 4-Box Set

A perfect companion for blissful adult moments

Enjoy it not only with Japanese or black tea, but also paired with your favorite specialty coffee during a break from work or chores, or even with spirits like wine, brandy, or whiskey for a special evening treat. It is also recommended as a topping for yogurt or ice cream. Its simple, rustic flavor allows you to 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 vegetarians or those with major food allergies.

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SHUKA is a simple and sophisticated confection made only from seeds and sugar. The packaging, which embodies this worldview, eliminates excessive decoration and consists only of the logo and colors inspired by each seed. Since "candying" is an ancient food preservation technique, the fact that it can be stored at room temperature without the use of any modern preservatives is also a reason why it is recommended as a gift or souvenir.

Seeds and sugar only

SHUKA is made using an ancient food preservation technique known as "sugar-candying." We use only seeds and sugar as ingredients. Naturally, we use no modern preservatives, coloring agents, or bleaching agents whatsoever.

Retain just the right amount of the seeds' original 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 an "al dente" mouthfeel.

Slowly soaked for three days

Next, we make syrup and soak the ingredients in it. Due to a physical phenomenon called osmosis, the water inside the ingredients and the sugar in the syrup are exchanged, allowing the sugar to gradually seep in. This process stops once the sugar concentration inside the ingredients and the sugar concentration in the surrounding syrup reach equilibrium.

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 make it easier to eat and improve shelf life, we let it sit overnight to dry the surface. At this stage, we use Wasanbon, a sugar unique to Japan. It is a traditional product dating back to the Edo period, made from "Chikuto," a domestic variety of sugarcane.

By sprinkling it on just right, it promotes surface drying while adding a gentle, sugary flavor. Our artisans make fine adjustments to the amount based on the temperature and humidity of the day to achieve the perfect balance.

In this way, it takes about four days from preparation to complete a single piece of SHUKA.

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

1. We know the producers personally
2. Respect for nature
3. Passion for quality

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

I was born the eldest son of "Torokuya," a Kyoto family business specializing in "amanatto" (sugar-coated beans). The shop 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 middle school, I was teased about my family business, with people calling sugar-coated beans "gross." Being at a sensitive age, I started to feel embarrassed about it and hid the fact that my family ran an amanatto shop.

The value of amanatto. A newfound sense of mission.

After graduating, I worked for two years at a long-established, major confectionery store, where I observed a wide variety of Japanese and Western sweets, before joining the family business at 26. My first impression of amanatto was, "How old-fashioned." Compared to Western confectionery, it felt particularly drab, covered in copious amounts of sugar, and sold in the same generic packaging you see everywhere.

Bringing amanatto to the world

To ensure this continues as a culture, we must change its image and, in particular, pass it on to the younger generation. As I thought about how to achieve this, I vaguely felt that if it were recognized overseas, it would have an impact. So, I decided to exhibit at the Slow Food world event held in Italy every two years. Slow Food is a grassroots movement originating in Italy that aims to preserve and pass on rich regional food cultures. With local foods gathered from all over the world, amanatto was a perfect fit.

Create a brand that resonates globally.

So, I consulted with 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 state, and my own vision.

As we met repeatedly after engaging his consulting services, the vague thoughts I had long been struggling with were distilled into a clear concept: "Lending a hand to the gifts of nature." Furthermore, Chairman Nakagawa’s remark that "if you break down amanatto, it's beans and sugar—fundamentally speaking, it's 'seeds' and 'sugar'," led us to the brand name "SHUKA," which succinctly expresses this essence.