Established in 2007, A La Carte is dedicated to using natural ingredients and preserving the authentic flavors of Japanese fruits in our dried fruits. Today, we had the privilege of speaking with A La Carte’s founder, Akemi Fujishige, to learn more about the charm of A La Carte.About the store, please refer to this article as well.
– Seeking domestically produced dried fruits.
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today. I saw so many dried fruits for the first time. There are domestic ones, and also rare ones like dates. It’s quite a challenge to decide which one to buy. I learned that this store has been around since 2007. I wonder what inspired its beginning?
Thank you. It was over 10 years ago when I started the Jiyugaoka store. I loved dried fruits and used to eat them often, but all the stores sold imported ones. I wondered why, even though Japan has four seasons and plenty of fruits. I had been involved in the ryokan (traditional inn) industry and had experience with traditional Japanese cuisine. With that experience, I wanted to try making domestically produced dried fruits myself, and that’s how it all started.
Meeting various farmers and listening to their stories, I learned that many fresh fruits are being discarded without being eaten. In Japan, for example, when fruits and vegetables are shipped to supermarkets, they are often required to meet specific standards regarding size, color, and appearance. Even if they taste great, produce that doesn’t meet these standards, such as being slightly misshapen or the wrong size or color, is often discarded.
Farmers put a lot of care into growing delicious and safe produce, but even if it’s just a little bit misshapen, it gets thrown away. It felt like throwing away all the care and effort they put into growing it, and it seemed wrong that food was being discarded without anyone getting to eat it. Nowadays, the term “SDGs” (Sustainable Development Goals) is used, and there’s more emphasis on not wasting food. But back then, there wasn’t such awareness.
I thought that if we could use these non-standard fruits to make fresh dried fruits, farmers might be able to afford new seedlings and grow even tastier fruits. I thought it could create an eco-friendly ecosystem in harmony with nature.
That’s right. Especially with foreign-produced dried fruits, they often use preservatives because of the long period it takes to import them. Additionally, many brands rely on artificial coloring to achieve a consistent appearance in their products.
At Alacarte, even something as simple as our “Whole Banana without additives” doesn’t use any artificial coloring, so there may be some variation in color and size between each piece. Also, for ingredients like ginger or peel, which can be bitter, we use sugar to make them more palatable. We use natural sweeteners like syrup or Okinawan black sugar to add natural sweetness without negatively affecting your health. Furthermore, the farmers we partner with use safe pesticides, so we are committed to safety from the fruit-growing stage as well.
At Alacarte, we have many customers who become regulars and visit us frequently. I feel that awareness of food safety has increased in Japan as well.
Do you have foreign customers ?
It seems that we have been receiving more foreign customers lately. One notable trend is the increase in customers who want to send our products to their families overseas or bring them back as souvenirs when they return home. Many of them express a desire to feed their loved ones with safe, additive-free products and to have them taste unique Japanese fruits. While fresh fruits cannot be taken on airplanes, dried fruits can, which makes them a convenient choice for such purposes.
It’s wonderful to hear that many people value sharing Japan’s unique flavors with their loved ones. Could you please provide a message for those who are watching belongingJAPAN?
Japan’s distinct four seasons inspire us to create dried fruits using seasonal flavors unique to each time of year. For example, during the summer, we use fruits like watermelon and peaches. We invite you to enjoy the changing seasons alongside our dried fruits. At our store, you can also sample a variety of dried fruits, so please feel free to find your favorites.
Details:
Contact: View Website
SNS: Instagram
- Address: 1-24-6 Jiyugaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Business Hours: 11:00~19:00, Closes on Wednesday.
