Exceptional Japanese Ingredients: the "My Journey through Japan" Collection

In Saga, on the island of Kyushu, Mr Kawahara cultivates one of the most renowned nori seaweeds in Japan. This is no geographical coincidence: it is the water and the mineral quality of the marine environment in this region that give these seaweeds their briny character and delicacy. "The aromas are not artificial — nature gives them to us", confirms Pierre Marcolini after their meeting. In the Hazelnut & Nori Pralié, this marine intensity serves as a counterpoint to the roundness of the praline — an unexpected yet deeply Japanese alliance.

Less well-known than yuzu, sudachi is a small green citrus fruit cultivated in Tokushima, on the island of Shikoku. Its vibrancy is almost crystalline. Pierre Marcolini has built a strong relationship with the Bando family, producers of this rare variety: "I love its liveliness, its unique flavour and the element of surprise it brings." This sharp, precise character is at the heart of the Sudachi Ganache — an experience of pure freshness, worlds apart from conventional citrus fruits.

Yuzu, grown mainly in the Kochi region, offers a unique aromatic tension: floral, acidic, luminous. It runs through the entire collection as a connecting thread — in the ganache, the Mango-Yuzu macaron and the ice creams. Kinako, roasted soy flour used for centuries in Japanese patisserie, brings a warm, caramelised roundness. In the pistachio & Kinako praliné, two types of sweetness, two cultures, one shared sensitivity for roasted fruit.