To celebrate the 85th anniversary of the Crimson Hokkaido (Shinku no Hokkaido) sweets

Opened in 1934, Sapporo Grand Hotel was the first full-scale Western-style hotel ever built in Hokkaido, and the stalwart for hospitality has watched the city and community grow ever since.
Hotel staff and leadership continues to explore the charms of Hokkaido, make new discoveries and share the local culture – the food culture in particular – with guests from around the world. As the mentioned in the hotel’s prospectus, “the menu abundantly uses fresh ingredients from Hokkaido, and aims to impress people who come from the city.”

As the hotel celebrates its 85th anniversary in 2019, the hotel’s talented pâtissier Mr. Takeda was appointed the job of creating sweet pastries to commemorate the occasion. Mr. Takeda was trained by Chef Kazutoshi Narita, recognized as Asia’s number one pâtissier, and the creator of the special Best Pastry 2018, World's Unique Sweets from Hokkaido, the hotel’s collaboration with French international gastronomic guidebook Gault & Millau .

With the goal of presenting sweet pastries that represent both modern tastes and traditional techniques, Pâtissier Takada searched for inspiration at the Salon du Chocolat trade show held in Tokyo in January 2019.

“What impressed me was this pink chocolate made of ruby cacao," said Takeda, who found inspiration in its use of natural colors. The young patissiers who accompanied him to the trade show also had the chance to discover new techniques and ideas, with some noting they found the process of making spiced chocolate of particular interest.

The elegance of blending natural colors with spiced essence gave the sweets a sophisticated, mature flavor they had not experienced before. With the purpose of gleaning information and inspiration to produce the latest chocolate product for Sapporo Grand Hotel’s anniversary celebration, the pastry chefs felt confident they could bring something back that would be suitable for such a prestigious occasion.

With new information in hand, the chefs decided to center their creation around Hokkaido's bright red beets. The locally sourced flavorful root vegetables were transformed into a crimson paste to be kneaded into the dough. The dough was then soaked in red wine syrup, baked to perfection and then coated with the jam, which is mixed with the beet paste and provides the bright red color.

Five varieties of homemade dried fruits, including mangoes, were all sourced from Hokkaido. The mix of fruit was marinated in apple brandy from Ikeda city and given a crumble texture after being roasted with flour. The pâtissier’s finished handmade cake realizes a complete balance between color and aroma.

The cake base eminates the subtle smell of alcohol and spices. The flavors and texture of dried fruits and nuts overlap with the moist cake making it a truly enjoyable creation. With a slight remaining scent of lavender, the Grand Rouge 85th Fruits and Nuts Red Cake is a dessert that adults can pair perfectly with Champagne and wine.

All the ingredients were carefully hand-selected by the pâtissier Takada after he visited various locations throughout Hokkaido in his search for the best flavors. While creating the cake, he maintained his philosophy of sharing the charm of Hokkaido's food, produce and culture with everyone.

We are proud to present you Hokkaido's history and culture from April 15, 2019 at the Bakery & Pastry, East Bldg 1F. To celebrate a special occasion, please visit us and try our new crimson cake.