しっとりバームクーヘンが300円！？　お得な「直売所」が都心に続々進出中！【Nスタ】｜TBS NEWS DIG

Freshly picked vegetables and even luxurious daily bento boxes! Incredibly affordable direct-sale markets are popping up one after another in central Tokyo, becoming hidden gems you can easily visit. ■Producers Set the Prices? A "Freshly Picked Vegetable" Direct-Sale Market in a Prime Location "Wakuwaku Hiroba Ningyocho 3-chome Store," a direct-sale market that opened on July 8th in Nihonbashi Ningyocho, a prime location in central Tokyo. While a wide variety of seasonal vegetables and fruits are on display, what's truly remarkable is the price. Komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) from Chiba Prefecture is 140 yen, three leeks for 151 yen, and four tomatoes from Fukushima Prefecture for 259 yen. Customers: "The vegetables are so fresh, and it's so convenient to be able to buy them easily." "Tomatoes are quite expensive right now, aren't they? To be able to buy them at this price feels like a bargain." The reason you can buy such great deals in the city center is that the producers themselves set the prices. Wakuwaku Hiroba Public Relations, Sachiyo Yano "The producers decide the prices. They're also free to deliver as they please, so they bring the quantity they want whenever they can." Because they don't go through markets or distributors, they sometimes get surprisingly good prices. During the interview, a peach farmer came into the shop. --Did you harvest these this morning? Peach Farmer "How did you know? I worked hard to pick them!" --Where are you from? "Yamanashi. The Southern Alps of Yamanashi." These peaches, harvested that morning, were transported from the Southern Alps of Yamanashi Prefecture, about 140 kilometers from the Nihonbashi direct sales store. Large, ripe peaches cost 324 yen each. Some are "damaged," but these are the "treasures"! Apparently, you won't regret buying these peaches. Why is that? Nobuaki Takayama, a farmer from Yamanashi Prefecture: "The beautiful ones are tasty too, but the ones with blemishes taste better. They absorb nutrients as they try to heal themselves. Blemished ones are sweeter and have a richer flavor." ■ Generous Portions of Bento Boxes at the Direct Sales Outlet The direct sales outlet becomes even more crowded at lunchtime. Everyone's target is the bento boxes. Customer: "There are so many different kinds of bento boxes!" "There are more kinds than I expected. I'm excited!" A hearty Indian curry bento box with chewy naan is available for 756 yen. In addition, various restaurants from Tokyo offer their signature bento boxes, including Japanese, Chinese, and Thai food. Of course, because it's a direct sales outlet, the prices are surprisingly low. For example, "Umai Meshi Kurihara," a bento shop in Koto Ward, boasts its "Daily Special Bento." This meal, featuring rice from Miyagi Prefecture and five authentic side dishes, including grilled silver trevally with Saikyo miso for a refined flavor, is priced at just 972 yen—under 1000 yen! Satoshi Suzuki, Umai Meshi Kurihara: "We use delicious rice, so I think you'll be satisfied with both the taste and the portion size." This direct sales outlet is located in prime locations in central Tokyo, such as Azabu-Juban, Yotsuya, and Kioicho, close to the Imperial Palace. They are planning to expand their stores further. ■Salted caramel, melon… a wide variety of Baumkuchen for 300 yen!? There's also a great direct sales outlet in Sumida Ward, Tokyo. It's the "Tokyo Baumkuchen Head Office Direct Sales Outlet." This Baumkuchen boasts a moist texture and refined flavor. It's a popular product sold in famous high-end supermarkets. And at this direct sales outlet, it's always 300 yen! 70s "It's cheap. I was surprised. Normally, something like this would cost 500 or 550 yen. 300 yen is cheap, and that's appealing." To further increase the product's recognition, they opened a direct sales store 16 years ago. Many people now visit, seeking their flagship "300 yen Baumkuchen." Besides the price, the "wide variety" is another reason for its popularity. Even in this hot season, the "salted caramel flavor" is delicious, and the "melon Baumkuchen," which features a rich aroma using melon puree from Ibaraki Prefecture and tastes even better when chilled, is also 300 yen. 30s "I thought the lemon would be a summery flavor, and at first I was interested in it, but I was curious about the brown sugar milk tea flavor, so I tried these two." Discovering even more treasures unique to the direct sales store! At first glance, it looks like an ordinary Baumkuchen, but it's a whopping 8 centimeters tall! This Baumkuchen, which is more than twice the size of a regular one, is a bargain at 400 yen. Furthermore, on Thursdays only, the "300 yen Baumkuchen" is available for almost half price at 160 yen. ▼TBS NEWS DIG Official Website: https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/ ▼Subscribe to our channel [Easier access to the latest news]    / @tbsnewsdig   ▼NEWS DIG...