The Japanese are certainly very creative when it comes to Japanese dessert. From centuries to centuries, chefs have created a wide variety of Japanese desserts popular around the world. Like its other popular cuisine, Japanese dessert are delicate and elegant, with its bite-sized and the balance of colors, it is definitely the most popular type of dessert you want in your next afternoon tea party. Here is our collection of the 9 most popular Japanese dessert.٩(●˙▿˙●)۶
Table of Contents
NO.1 Mochi Ice Cream
Mochi is one of the oldest Japanese dessert with a very heavy cultural background, however, it goes surprisingly well with the new Western popular dessert, ice cream. Mochi is made of glutinous rice, hence it has a soft and chewy texture.( ᐛ )و
This popular Japanese dessert is normally enjoyed in important dates of the year, including the New Year and the cherry blossom season in Spring.
In ancient Japan, this prestigious Japanese dessert can only be enjoyed by the nobles and the gods, lucky for us, mochi is now popular around the world. Its combination with ice cream is endless, you can basically combine any flavours and be amazed by its sweet taste and chewy-chilly texture. Some of the most popular choices would be the combination of matcha green tea mochi, a traditional Japanese dessert, with red bean flavoured ice cream, adding a little variation to this popular Japanese dessert.
NO.2 Amezaiku
Amezaiku is a popular Japanese dessert that illustrates the excellent craftsmanship of the Japanese. To say it is a popular Japanese dessert might be a little downgrading for Amezaiku, because it is practically a piece of art.
Originally created with shapes to give it an appealing appearance, this popular Japanese dessert was hand-made by chefs using multi-colored taffy. Chefs would use their skillful hands, scissors and tweezers to sculpt the shape of the Amezaiku, which is usually animals and the most popular shape is goldfish. Then edible dyes would be used to color the shapes, to make them more lifelike.
The making of this Japanese dessert has become so popular some street performances are dedicated to show the creation of this popular Japanese dessert from the scratches, the speedy work of chefs and their masterful sculpting skills always make the making of this Japanese dessert popular. It is also very popular among little children because of its pretty colors and its sweet taste.
NO.3 Anmitsu
Anmitsu is another popular choice of traditional Japanese dessert. It is a combination of a several beloved Japanese dessert, including jelly made of agar, red beans, boiled peas and fresh fruits like pineapple cubes, cherries and peaches. (=^▽^=)
When served, a special kind of sweet black syrup would be poured over the jelly to intensify the sweetness of this Japanese dessert. With the refreshing taste of the jelly along with the fresh fruits, this Japanese dessert is a popular choice during the hot summer days. Imagine sitting at your backyard with your friends and eating anmitsu elegantly from a bowl with a spoon, that certainly would kill some of the annoying hotness.
There are also a lot of variations to this popular Japanese dessert, including Mitsumame, which is anmitsu without the bean paste and cream anmitsu that is anmitsu with ice cream.
NO.4 Anpan
This Japanese dessert is one of the most well-known and popular Japanese dessert of all, thanks to Doreman. The cute little robot cat loves this treat, so as every single of us. Anpan is the generic term of sweet rolls filled with Japanese red bean paste, sometimes green beans.( ᐛ )و
Some popular variations would be sesame garnish and chestnut fillings. It was said to be made in the meiji period by a samurai who lost his job. Anpan is not only popular among the ordinary people, but also kings and nobles. Every 4 April of the year is even named as the “Anpan Day” to celebrate the birth of this Japanese dessert. It was even alleged that the popular anime series “Anpan Man” was inspired by this beloved Japanese dessert with its protagonist being an Anpan itself.
NO.5 Castella
It may look like your ordinary sponge cake, but I assure this is no ordinary sponge cake. This popular Japanese dessert from Nagasaki is a type of sponge cake made of sugar, eggs and starch syrup, giving it a sweet, maple-syrupy taste.
It was said to be brought to Japan by a Portuguese merchant in the 16th century. Due to its popular nice taste, people in Nagasaki made some variations and castella had become one of the most popular Japanese desserts.
Castella is usually a large piece of rectangular yellow sponge cake with a brown outer skin. Although it looks a lot like honey sponge cake, there is no honey in the making of castella. However, it still has the sweet maple syrup taste and a texture similar to cheese cakes. It has become so popular that it is a must-buy souvenir for people who visited Japan, especially Nagasaki.
NO.6 Chinsuko
Chinsuko is a traditional Japanese dessert with a sweet taste. It has earned its own reputation with its mild and sweet taste and has become one of the most popular Japanese dessert in Okinawa.
Despite its long history tracing back all the way to the Ryukyu Kingdom, this Japanese dessert has evolved to combine with some popular flavors, including matcha and chocolate. Chinsuko was said to be originated from the South of China and was originally used in ceremonies and eaten by the nobles.
It is not until the Meiji period when Chinsuko became popular among all walks of the society. This delightful mouthful Japanese dessert has the taste and texture similar to a cookie, making it a best companion with tea. It is also a popular choice of souvenir when people are visiting Okinawa.
NO.7 Coffee Jelly
Despite the fact that coffee jelly actually came from the England, it has become one of the most popular toppings for Japanese desserts.
Coffee jelly is popular because it is easy to make, it matches well with a lot of Japanese desserts, and it tastes as good as it can be on its own. Just mix an appropriate amount of gelatine with brewed coffee, then you can get some jiggy coffee jelly for all your Japanese desserts.
One of the most popular choices would be adding it to milk pudding, because we all know how well coffee and milk go together. Coffee jellies have become so popular once, it is practically everywhere. It is served in restaurants, cafes and even convenient stores. If you are too lazy to make any Japanese dessert, you can just enjoy coffee jelly on its own by adding some sweet cream on it, and bam, another Japanese dessert for the day.
NO.8 Imagawayaki
Imagawayaki is a popular waffle-like Japanese dessert made from a patterned iron. It has the texture of a soft pancake, along with one of the most popular fillings among Japanese dessert, the red bean paste.
Some innovative Japanese dessert chefs also combine it with other Wester dessert fillings like custard, vanilla paste and chocolate, adding a little Western style into this traditional Japanese dessert.
Traditional imagawayaki is of a circular shape, but innovative minds have added some spices to it, one of the most famous and popular shapes would be fish, also known as Taiyaki. Talking about innovative, some chefs have turned this Japanese dessert into a savoury dish with curry as the filling, adding some variations to this popular Japanese dessert.
NO.9 Raindrop Cake
In the era of social media, sometimes the appearance of a dessert matters as much as its taste. Raindrop cake will certainly fulfil all your expectations for a instagramable Japanese dessert.
Raindrop cake has only become popular in recent years, however, it has already become one of the favorites of Japanese dessert lovers around the world. Made by water and agar, raindrop cake is basically a canvas for dessert chefs to illustrate their limitless creativity.
A finished raindrop cake would have a transparent appearance, where chefs can add in all different types of popular toppings to make it looks like a piece of painting instead of a Japanese dessert. Some popular choice of toppings would be blossom flowers and dried flowers. Raindrop cake is often served with Japanese black syrup and yellow bean powder as garnish. (=^▽^=)
Some artistic chefs would also look for an overall balanced look with the marvelous use of garnishes and toppings, making sure every raindrop cake can get you at least a hundred likes on Instagram.
Just like Japanese cuisine, Japanese dessert is more than something you consume, but instead, every Japanese dessert is practically a piece of artwork.
The good news is, the Japanese are as concerned about aesthetic as they are about health, therefore, they strike to maintain a delicate balance between the taste, the look and the nutrients of their desserts, and I guess, this is what it makes Japanese desserts so popular around the world. Do try out some of the popular Japanese desserts from our collection of the 9 most popular Japanese dessert next time when you visit Japan!
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