Japanpedia : The Best of 35 Japanese Desserts

Japanpedia - Japan was making desserts for centuries before sugar became widely available in the country. As a result, Japan developed unique desserts that were based on the ingredients that were available such as rice and sweet beans.

When affordable sugar did finally arrive in Japan in the 1860s, Japan went a little sugar crazy and created a large number of desserts based on western traditions. These invariably took on interesting Japanese dimensions with time.The following are common desserts in Japan today. Many have a history that can be traced back for hundreds of years.

1. Mochi

Mochi are a fundamental ingredient of Japanese desserts. They are also a dessert on their own. For example, mochi can be toasted and sweetened with a topping such as kinako.

2. Daifuku

Daifuku are pockets of mochi with various sweet fillings. They are as common as cake in Japan.

3. Dorayaki

Castella pancakes sandwiched together with anko. In many cases, other ingredients such as chestnuts, whipped cream and ice cream are also added to the middle.

4. Dango

Dango are chewy Japanese rice dumplings that are often served on a stick. They taste best grilled with a sweet topping. Dango can also be toasted over an open fire like marshmallows.

5. Mont Blanc

Mont Blanc is an Italian dessert made with sweetened pureed chestnuts that is extremely popular in Japan where it comes in hundreds of varieties that have been adapted to local tastes.

6. Anmitsu

Anmitsu is a classic Japanese dessert that includes an assortment of ingredients such as anko, agar jelly, mochi, chestnuts, sweet beans, fruits and boiled peas with a side of sweet black syrup as a topping. There's no standard recipe for Anmitsu but anko and agar jelly are the core ingredients. Anmitsu with ice cream is considered a separate dessert known as Cream Anmitsu.

7. Crepes

Small crepe shops are a common sight in Japan. They usually have 20 or more plastic models out front that represent the menu. Japanese crepes are typically handheld with a pancake that's similar to the French original with fillings such as fruit, whipped cream, chocolate and ice cream. Many have elaborate and original designs with chocolates, biscuits, small cakes or big pieces of fruit on top.

8. Anko

Anko is a sweet paste of azuki beans. Azuki beans were a common way to sweeten desserts before processed sugar made its way to Japan. It's still a common topping and filling for Japanese desserts. Anko can also be eaten on its own.

9. Coffee Jelly

A simple dessert of jelly make with black coffee that's often topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. It's the type of dessert you'll find at a old cafe or restaurant in Tokyo.

10. Higashi

Higashi is a category of fine Japanese desserts that contain no fresh ingredients. In other words, they have a long shelf life. Higashi are fancy desserts that can be served in formal settings such as tea ceremony. They are usually small, colorful, aesthetically pleasing candies made with finely ground Japanese sugar or soybean flour.

11. Namagashi

Namagashi is a category of traditional Japanese dessert that includes any fresh prepared sweet that is fancy enough to present at tea ceremony. It is common for Namagashi and Higashi to be served together.

12. Honey Toast

Honey Toast is a dessert that's available at cafes in Japan that consists of a very large piece of toast or caramelized bread with honey, ice cream, fruits and other sweet items on top.

13. Imagawayaki

Imagawayaki are a thick pancake-like dessert that are traditionally filled with anko. Recent varieties also include fruit jams, custards, meats, potato and curry. Imagawayaki are known by dozens of different names depending on their region and type.

14. Castella

Simple sponge cakes that have been a Japanese favorite ever since they wereintroduced to the country by the Portuguese in the 16th century.

15. Manju

Manju are a type of Chinese style steamed bun that come in hundreds of varieties. Most are a bread-like bun with a sticky texture filled with a sweet paste such as anko. Manju first arrived from China in 1341 and have a long history in Japan.

16. Mochi Ice Cream

Small balls of ice cream wrapped in mochi often topped with a dusting of corn starch or mochiko to make them less sticky as they melt. Mochi Ice Cream was first introduced in 1981 by a product called Yukimi Daifuku.

17. Shiruko

Shiruko is a Japanese dessert soup that is made with crushed azuki beans and mochi. It has a number of variations that include both watery and thick chilly-like soups. Shiruko is a winter dish that's normally served hot with a small salty side item.

18. Sakuramochi

Sakuramochi are mochi flavored with cherry blossoms. They are often filled with red bean paste and wrapped in a pickled sakura leaf. Sakuramochi come in a number of regional varieties and tend to have a chunky texture in Osaka but are smooth in Tokyo.

19. Yokan

Yokan is a type of thick Japanese jelly made with agar and red bean paste or white bean paste. Practically every souvenir shop in Japan sells a local version in a block with individually wrapped slices.

20. Hanabiramochi

Hanabiramochi are a delicate dessert that represent an ume blossom wrapped around an Ayu fish that have symbolic meaning for New Year's. They consist of a white mochi wrapped around a pink mochi such that the pink shows through at the center but not the edges. They are filled with white anko or sweet white miso and a candied gobo root that sticks out the ends.

PART 2

Japanpedia Team,

Credited & Arranged from:
www.wikipidea.com
www.japan-talk.com
www.tsunagujapan.com
www.japan-guide.com
www.japanpedia.asia
www.theculturetrip.com

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