There is a blogger on YouTube who is loved by fans for uploading videos to share "Japanese sweets" all year round.
Not only is the status of "Japanese confectionery" in Japan, but also the "Japanese confectionery" that has a history of more than 100 years is rare, so the recipe and method are equivalent to a secret to the Japanese confectionery craftsmen.
It is really rare for a blogger who can be so generous and open and shoot video teaching on the Internet.
The blogger's name is ゆいこ, and she is the wife of the eighth generation heir of a 200-year-old Japanese confectionery shop "Turtle House Yoshicho" in Shimokyo Ward, Kyoto Prefecture, and is 40 years old this year.
Her life is a rollercoaster ride, but it's also enjoyable...
Sixteen years ago, 24-year-old Yuko had just returned from her studies at Le Cordon Bleu in France, and was introduced by her mother to the son of her mother's friend Yoshikazu.
Ryōwa is the eighth generation of the 200-year-old Katoya Yoshicho store in Japan. He fell in love with Yuko at first sight, and then pursued her violently.
Because the two are close in class, they are very speculative in their speech and behavior. In addition, Yuko has been interested in cooking and traditional culture since she was a child, and after the two dated for 3 months, Yuko and the son of a relative and friend who was only one year older than herself "flash marriage".
After marriage, the life of the two is also very sweet, and it can be seen from the process of dating that the 8th generation is also a person who spends money lavishly, and he is quite a rich son.
Originally, this kind of traditional family business was managed by professional managers, housekeepers, shopkeepers, treasurers, chefs, etc., and Lianghe was basically a "hands-off shopkeeper" and did not know much about the operation mode of the store.
But the good times did not last long, and in the third year after marriage, the treasurer handed over the account book to the couple.
The business of the "good house" has long been much worse than before, and it has borrowed a huge amount of arrears in the "bubble economy era", and now it has already been in debt of hundreds of millions of dollars.
After three years of marriage, the sky suddenly changed, from a rich second generation who spent money to hundreds of millions of debts on the verge of bankruptcy, which seemed to happen overnight.
We don't know what kind of mental journey Yuko experienced at that time, but it was nothing more than a member of the "licking and self-healing" alone in the middle of the night after life was "the first to drink".
But life didn't knock her down, as mentioned earlier, Yuko has liked cooking and traditional culture since she was a child, and she has experience studying abroad.
If it is not broken, it will not stand, and a storm of reform in the face of "century-old stores" is about to be unveiled.
However, the so-called "traditional culture" is not all essence, and there are dross.
For example, "let women into the back kitchen and point fingers at qualified masters", the group of "old craftsmen" is unacceptable in the first place.
They directly said to Lianghe, who is the heir of the eighth generation: "Take care of your wife, don't be so willful!"
The head chef has considerable rights in the back kitchen, from the menu of the day to the experiment of new products, without his permission.
But I can't stand the soft grinding and hard bubbles of the knot: "If it doesn't work once, it will be twice, and if you don't agree with it for a day, you will come every day..."
At that time, the people of the "good man of the house" were panicked, and he complained to the president every day... To no avail, he finally relented and allowed Yuko to try the new product in the store.
At the beginning, the three major signboards of the store: "Pocket Azuki Bean Soup", "Toba Jade", and "Yokan".
The shape is earthy, the name is awkward, and the taste is so sweet that it is greasy, which is no longer suitable for the healthy eating habits of contemporary people...
It's all supported by regular customers, and sometimes you can't sell two a day, so how can business be good?
Yuko, who had studied overseas, analyzed the curiosity of contemporary people, and first started with the "Pocket Bean Soup" and innovated it into a "Divination Shodou Soup Treasure Boat".
After the skin of the fruit is brewed in hot water, the bran melts, the red bean soup will be left at the bottom of the cup, and the jelly of different shapes and colors will be eaten randomly, which indicates the mood and luck of the guests today.
Who doesn't like this kind of girl's careful thinking~ This even became a must-order dessert for customers to the store, and sales increased by more than 125 times.
Then there is the sweet "Toba Damama" made with sugar and bean paste, which was so precious in the Edo period that people don't like to eat it anymore.
Yuko adds hot cocoa to the recipe, neutralizes the sweetness of the bean paste with the slightly bitter taste of chocolate, and drizzles a little refreshing clear juice, and this improved "Tobatama CACAO" is also a big hit in the store.
As for "yokan", Yuko not only changed its recipe, but even changed its sales channels and models.
The large amount of yokan that cannot be eaten but is inconvenient to store, which dooms it to sell poorly.
After many experiments, Yuko came up with the idea of using toast to neutralize the texture of the yokan and pack it in slices, so that it will not get tired and can be heated at any time to become a meal replacement.
After developing a new product, she visited many shopping malls to discuss business, and finally cooperated with Muji, which was sold as an exhibit on the shelf, which can be seen.
For this battle between conservatives and revolutionaries, Yuko and his wife won a complete victory.
At present, he has not only paid off hundreds of millions of loans and started to make a profit, but also made himself known as "Kyoto Wagashi craftsman in the new era".
Today, she is still researching and sharing new products on YouTube, which is not only a food channel, but also promotes traditional culture, so why not?
Sure enough, innovation is the primary productive force!