[Choose Your Own] SHUKA gelato, 12 cups

The perfect companion for a blissful adult moment

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 as an evening treat alongside wine, brandy, whiskey, or other spirits. It is also recommended as a topping for yogurt or ice cream. Its simple 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 major allergies, vegetarians, and others with dietary restrictions.

*Some products may contain ingredients equivalent to specified raw materials. For more details, click here.

SHUKA is a simple, sophisticated confection made only from seeds and sugar. Its packaging embodies this world view, stripping away excessive decoration and consisting solely of the logo and colors inspired by each type of seed. Because "candying" is an ancient food preservation technique, the fact that it keeps at room temperature without the use of any modern preservatives is another 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 "candying." The only ingredients used are seeds and sugar; we use no modern preservatives, artificial colors, or bleaching agents whatsoever.

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

First, we simmer the ingredients to allow them to absorb moisture. In traditional Japanese confectionery, it is common to simmer ingredients until they are as soft as possible to ensure they melt in the mouth; however, at SHUKA, we use a unique, carefully researched process that leaves the seeds with a pleasant, al dente texture, preserving not only their original shape and color but also their inherent bite.

Slowly soaked for three days

Next, we make syrup and soak the ingredients in it. Due to the physical phenomenon of osmosis, the water inside the ingredients is replaced by the sugar in the syrup, causing the sugar to gradually penetrate. 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 its texture and shelf life, we let it sit overnight to dry the surface. For this, we use Wasanbon, a sugar unique to Japan. It is a product passed down since the Edo period, made from "Chikutou," a domestic variety of sugarcane.

By sprinkling just the right amount, we promote surface drying while simultaneously coating it in a gentle sugarcane flavor. Our artisans make fine adjustments to the amount sprinkled based on the day's temperature and humidity, ensuring the perfect balance.

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

SHUKA uses only seeds and sugar. Therefore, we carefully select each individual raw material, using only those of value to be passed on to future generations. Specifically, we make our judgments 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 "Torokuya," a Kyoto-based family business specializing in the Japanese confection known as "amanatto." The shop was founded in 1926 (the first year of the Showa era) by my great-grandmother, Sueno Kondo.

However, I grew up thinking, "I will never become an amanatto maker!" When I was in junior high school, I was teased about my family's business, with classmates calling "sweet natto" disgusting. Being at such a sensitive age, I started to feel embarrassed about the family business and began hiding the fact that my parents 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 shop, where I gained exposure to many different Japanese and Western sweets before joining the family business at 26. My first impression of amanatto was, "How old-fashioned." It felt particularly lackluster compared to Western confectionery, with its heavy coating of sugar and packaging that was nothing more than a generic bag you could find anywhere.

Bringing Amanatto to the world

To ensure it continues as a culture, we need to change this image and, in particular, pass it on to the younger generation. Thinking about how to achieve this, I vaguely thought that if it were recognized overseas, it might make an impact. So, 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. Local foods are gathered from all over the world, and amanatto was a perfect fit.

Building a brand with global reach.

So, I consulted with Masashichi Nakagawa, Chairman of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, who is renowned for his expertise in business revitalization and branding for craft industries. He listened to everything—the history of amanatto, our current situation, and my own vision.

As we met repeatedly after commissioning his consultancy, the vague feelings I had harbored for so long crystallized into a clear concept: "tending to the gifts of nature." Furthermore, Chairman Nakagawa’s remark that "if you break amanatto down, it's just beans and sugar—fundamentally, it’s 'seed' and 'sugar,'" led us to the brand name "SHUKA," which succinctly captures that essence.