Chocolatier, a word that is becoming popular in Japan along with pastry chef, is the French word for chocolate craftsman. A highly sensitive Japanese chocolatier who is now recognized around the world. Introducing the chocolatiers who nurture and evolve Japan's chocolate culture.

It's been 20 years since we started making chocolates with Japanese ingredients, such as Hatcho miso, Kujo green onion, perilla wasabi, and persimmon seeds.

In 1999, when the word ``chocolatier'' was still new, Koji Tsuchiya opened ``Theobroma'' in Tomigaya, Shibuya Ward. Theobroma is the scientific name of cacao and means "food of the gods" in the Aztec civilization of Mexico. He traveled to France twice to train at a famous chocolate shop, perhaps because the first chocolate he tasted left an impression on him, as if it were ``food of the gods.'' ``I first went to France in 1982, and by chance I ended up working at a chocolate shop.When I tasted authentic truffles for the first time, I was blown away.``This is the taste of cacao!'' It's completely different from the chocolate I had before. From then on, I fell in love with chocolate."

Twenty years have passed since Theobroma opened, and the word "chocolatier" has become well-known, and a few years ago there was a trend of "bean-to-bar" in which people purchase cacao beans and make their own chocolate. It also landed in Japan. A leading figure in Japan's chocolate industry asserts, ``I'm not afraid to misunderstand, but anyone who doesn't start with beans is not a chocolatier.'' I want to go to the place of origin and learn about the environment in which cacao beans are grown, how they are fermented, and the people who make them. Once you know that such beans exist, you won't be satisfied with ready-made chocolate. In other words, if you're a chocolatier, you have no choice but to make it from beans.

He says, ``The spirit of chocolate making and the spirit of exploration are the same as they were 20 years ago,'' but some things have changed. When he first opened, he decided not to use Japanese ingredients, saying, ``I won't make chocolate that doesn't exist in France.'' However, as he met people in the chocolate industry around the world, he began to understand what was expected of Japanese chocolatiers with free ideas. The culmination of these efforts is a collection created to commemorate the 20th anniversary. The strong flavor of Hatcho miso, Kujo green onion, and perilla wasabi combined with the bitterness and sourness of cacao to create a subtle aroma that made French chocolate lovers swoon.

Lately, I've been researching spices to pair curry and chocolate well. ``Chocolate is always on my mind. Isn't that what a chocolatier is?'' said the maestro, who seems to have many more interesting things to do, with a grin.

(Titles omitted)

Theobroma
14-9-XNUMX Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
03-5790-2181
10:00～20:00／喫茶 10:00～20：00閉店（L.O. 19：00）
Open all year-round (except year-end and new year holidays)
https://www.theobroma.co.jp/