Wagashi is a traditional Japanese dessert/sweet snacks, or some people will say they are Japanese dim sum. Wagashi has almost 1,000 years of history. The main ingredients are rice, flour, red bean, and sugar. Mostly Japanese people are served it with green tea, especially in spring and summer, a lot of Japanese will have wagashi while they are enjoying the cherry blossoms (JAP: sakura) and other flowers.

Depended on different seasons, sessions, and occasions, there will be different kinds, patterns, shapes, and flowers of the wagashi.

Most of the yaki, such as dorayaki, taiyaki, etc, are belonged to wagashi as well. Thus not all wagashi(s) are created very beautiful.

Dorayaki

Taiyaki

Here are some beautiful wagashi:

Recommended Stores:

1) In Ueno, there are various stores that sell traditional Japanese products, foods, and drinks. It is a good place for visitors to buy gifts.

2) 7-jyo-kansyundo – 7-jyo-kansyundo provides different kinds of wagashi. One special wagashi is the “tea set wagashi”. You can use the cup to drink tea, at the same time you are also able to eat the tea cup. That’s really cool~

Address: No. 551, higashi-iri-nishi Street, Shichi-jyou Main Road, Higashiyama City, Kyoto; TEL: (075) 541-4090; Business Hour: 10:00 – 18:00

3) Tsuruya-yoshinobu (ho一mu-pe一ji) – Tsuruya-yoshinobu have various stores in Japan, but their main chain is in Kyoto.

Address: 〒602-8434, horikawa-nishi-iri, imotegawadoori Street, kamigyouku District, Kyoto. TEL: 075-441-0105

Other Stores’ Address (In JAP)

My Rating:

]]> http://mrnaomi.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/japan-wagashi/feed/ 0 mrnaomi http://mrnaomi.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/japan-royces-chocolate/ http://mrnaomi.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/japan-royces-chocolate/#comments Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:04:34 +0000 mrnaomi http://mrnaomi.wordpress.com/?p=76 ]]> Royce’s chocolate

Besides Shiroi Koibito’s chocolate cookies, Royce’s chocolate is also another famous sweet in Hokkaido. It has to put in the fridge.

The chocolates have the chocolate powder on it, that’s why some people call this chocolate as “chocolate dust.” There are different flavors, such as rum, champagne, Hennessy VSOP, red tea. I highly recommend the rum flavor, since it contains a strong flavor of rum and just a little bit sweet taste. Because the chocolate is cold, so it won’t taste too sweet. When you put the chocolate in the mouth, it will melt immediately .

A box of Royce’s chocolate has 20 pieces of chocolate.

Except the chocolate dust, Royce also provides other sweets.

Royce’s black chocolate dust

Royce’s white chocolate dust

Royce’s potatochip chocolate

Royce’s marshmallow chocolate

My Rating:

“Shiroi” (白い) means “white”, “koibito” (恋人) means “lover”. This chocolate cookie is one of the most popular sweet in Hokkaido.

This Shiroi Koibito’s chocolate factory is opened by Ishiya Company, and it located in Hokkaido. Maybe I like the story about “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ,” it is really interesting to visit this chocolate factory. If you have a chance to go to Hokkaido, you definitely have to go there. But you don’t have to go to Hokkaido to buy Shiroi Koibito chocolate cookies, since you are able to buy it in most of the department stores and in the airport.

I really enjoy visiting this chocolate factory, because it decorated like a palace. Besides, there is a big restaurant in the factory, selling different kinds of home-made desserts and beverages. Also, you are able to see how the Shiroi Koibito chocolate cookies produce.

The chocolate factory:

Shiroi Koibito milk

My Rating:

Like Kitakaro store, Rokkatei also provides popular chocolate and desserts in Japan. Most of the desserts in Rokkatei are really famous, a lot of foreign visitors will come here and buy these desserts as gifts.

Strawberry Chocolate Ball – White or black chocolate ball, inside have a strawberry. A little bit sour taste of the strawberry then serve with the sweet chocolate is a perfect match. Thus, it won’t be too sweet only having the chocolate ball.

Maruse Butter Cookie — Butter cookie inside contain cream with rum raisins

My Rating:

Most of the crabs in Japan are from Hokkaido, red king crab is one of them. Red king Crab is belonging to Goneplacidae, the obvious characteristic is having really long legs. Thus, red king crab also known as “long leg crab”.

There are various methods to eat the crab, such as sashimi, shabu-shabu, grilled/roasted, etc. However, I really not enjoy having crab sashimi, since the texture is really weird. The most common eating method is to just boil the crab with hot water and then serve with sea salt. It is the best way that are able to taste the original flesh and taste of the red king crab.

There are many restaurants that provide red king crab throughout Japan. But, of course, eating crabs in Hokkaido is really popular in Japan. People are able to have red king crab in Taiwan and Hong Kong, but will be super expensive.

Crab Sashimi

Crab Shabu-Shabu

Grilled/roasted Crab

My Rating:

Kobe beef is known as the most expensive “Japanese Wagyu”.

The reason that Kobe beef is so expensive is because those cattle are fostering in a superior livelihood. Not only the living environment is really good and comfortable, but also their diets are extremely fastidiousness. There are official staffs to feed the cattle to drink beer, in order to accelerate the cattle’s blood circulation. So to make their flesh more smooth. Besides, there are professional massagers to help the cattle to massage. Thus the muscle and fat of the cattle will share more equally. Like the beef in Canada, beef are divided into categories. Japanese beef are categorized into 5 levels, A5 is known as the best beef. Kobe beef is categorized at A4 to A5.

There are several methods to eat Kobe beef, such as sashimi, iron pan-fried, broiled, shabu-shabu, fried with salt, etc.

Kobe beef in supermarket

Kobe beef on pan-fried

Kobe beef for Shabu-Shabu

Kobe beef Sushi

Kobe beef Sashimi

Recommended Restaurants:

1) Steak Land Kobe

This restaurant provide iron pan-fried Kobe beef and located in Sannomiya.

Address: 2/F, 1 Miyasako building (@ Chuo area, Kobe city)

Little tips:

Most of the staffs and chefs are able to speak English, thus, communication is not a problem.

In order to prevent the belongings of customers will absorb soot, thus there are lockers for customers to put their private properties.

2) Originator of Teppanyaki Kobe Misono Restaurant

This restaurant is first restaurant that provided iron pan-fried of Kobe beef in Japan. This restaurant opened since 1945, and has branches through Japan, such as in Kobe, Kyoto, Osaka, Shinjuku, etc.

3) Rokkasen restaurant

Rokkasen restaurant also a famous restaurant in Japan that eats Japanese beefs. They provide different kinds of Wagyu included Kobe beef.

My Rating:

Soba is a traditional food since Edo period. There are hot and cold soba. But, for me, cold soba is more special since you may experience a Japanese culture. While hot soba is not really special, I think it just like ramen, just the texture of the noodles is different.

Cold Soba — For cold soba, there is a bowl that contains soba sauce.

Hot Soba

Soba that sell in department store.

Recommended restaurants:

1) Edo Soba-hoso-kawa

Address: 5-6-1 kamezawa street, Sumida city, Tokyo Metropolis; TEL: 03-3626-1125

How to make Soba?

2) Soba restaurant near Senso Temple

Senso Temple @ kaminarumon

My Rating:

Baumkuchen is German. In Chinese, it means “the cake of rings.” A lot of Japanese people buy Baumkuchen cake as a gift, because they thought that the rings on the cake are similar to the rings on the tree. Thus they gave Baumkuchen cake the meaning of longevous and prosperous. Some Japanese people would have Baumkuchen as their wedding cake as well.

Usually a Baumkuchen cake is height 35 cm, and the diameter is 11 cm.

Recommended stores:

1) Kitakaro

Kitakaro store is really popular in desserts, Baumkuchen cake is one of them. They have a lot of chains throughout Japan.

They have a special name for the Baumkuchen cake. If translated it to English is “The spirit of the tree.”

Most of their stores are located in Hokkaido. The chain in Otaru city is a famous store that a lot of foreign visitors go there.

2) Villon

The characteristic of Villon’s Baumkuchens are baked in a vase. Thus different Baumkuchen cakes would have the special shape. To bake these kinds of Baumkuchen cakes are really difficult. It has to bake it one layer by one layer, and keep rotating it. Because of the special shape of the Baumkuchen cakes, Villon is one of the popular stores that sell Baumkuchen cakes in Japan.

It is the Baumkuchen cake which has the jelly of the raspberry inside, it contains that sweet taste of the cake and the sour taste of the raspberry jelly.

It is the shape of pear, and the Baumkuchen cake has the jelly of pear inside.

It is the shape of pear, and the Baumkuchen cake has the jelly of apple inside.

This is their oldest and original taste of Baumkuchen cake in this store.

Trio- Baumkuchen: included chocolate, coffee, and the original taste.

Green Tea Baumkuchen cake

Villon not only provides Baumuchen cakes, but also other, such as different kinds of chocolate.

Address: 2-8-4 Sakura-shin-machi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Metropolis; TEL: 03-3427-2555; Business Hours: 9:30 – 20: 30, Thursday off.

3) Juchheim

Juchheim’s Baumkuchen cakes are one of the successful candidates in the award of “The Best Tokyo gift.”

They provide 3 different sizes of Baumkuchen cakes.

Apple flavor – with cooked apple inside

Address of the main store: 1-4-13 Motomachi district, Chuo-city, Kobe

Juchheim has a lot of chains in the department stores throughout Japan, also in the airport. So if you can’t buy it when you travel around Japan, you can buy it in the airport.

4) Minamitei Baumkuchen

 Owakudani is a famous national park in Hakone. 4,000 years ago, the volcano in Owakudani is almost not active. Thus, a lot of steams come out from the volcano. Also because of the steams, Japanese called this Owakudani national park as a “Hell Valley”. Even now, there still a lot of steams come out from the dead volcano. Due to the steams, there is a strong smell of sulphur.

From the parking lot to the middle of the volcano is 670m; it usually takes 30 minutes to go up there. Throughout the pathway, people can smell the sulphur. On the middle of the volcano, there is a tourist center that sells different souvenirs and the black eggs. According to the local legend, one egg can postpone one’s life for 7 years. Would you believe it?? …(I’m not! ) 6 years ago I been to Owakudani, as I remember one pack has 6 eggs. My cousin and I, each of us have 3 eggs……According to what the legend said, I will have 21 years more…Well…seems like postponed too many years…hah…

As I remember these eggs are not really special, the egg shells are in black color only. But because they are made by hot spring water, thus, there is a slightly different taste of the yolk. What I really remember is after I ate 3 eggs, I am super full!

Owakudani is also a place that can view the Fuji Mountain. Also, you will have totally different feeling when you go to Owakudani National Park in summer and winter.

A whole view of Owakudani:

My rating:

Okonomiyaki is one of the popular Japanese dishes which consist of a pan-fried batter cake and various ingredients. “Okonomi” means “what you like”, and “yaki” means “grilled”. The okonomiyaku came from Osaka and Hiroshima, thus Taiwanese called okonomiyaki as Osaka yakisoba. Because of different flavor of different cities, there are different flavors of okonomiyaki throughout Japan. Such as Okinawa’s flavor is called “Hirayachi”, and in Kinki-region is called “Modan yakisoba”. But they are all based on the traditional okonomyaki.

The main ingredients are cabbage, water, egg, etc, and then mixed with noodles, and seafood or meats, such as shrimp, pork, beef, etc.The cook will first put all the ingredients in a big bowl, then will pan-fired everything like a pancake.

In most of the Okonomiyaki restaurants, you can cook the okonomiyaki by yourself or the chef. So, customers are able to try to make okonomiyaki.

There is a special sauce for the Okonomiyaki, then serve with slide seaweed, mayonnaise, green onion, etc.

How to make Okonomiyaki?

Recommended restaurant:

Okonomiyaki Fugetsu

Meat Okonomiyaki

Shrimp Okonomiyaki

Osyter Okonomiyaki

Vegetables Okonomiyaki

Jumbo Okonomiyaki

My Rating: