FAQs
Taiyaki. A must-try on any visit to Japan, these popular fish-shaped pastries are typically stuffed with all sorts of fillings, but most commonly you'll find sweet red bean paste.
What is an unusual Japanese dessert? ›
Japanese zenzai is an unusual dessert which combines thick red bean soup with mochi, the famous sticky rice cake. It can be made by boiling dried red beans or diluting anko (sweetened red bean paste) in water. The soup can either have a coarse or a completely smooth texture.
What is dessert called in Japan? ›
In Japanese cuisine, traditional sweets are known as wagashi, and are made using ingredients such as red bean paste and mochi.
What was the first Japanese dessert? ›
The history of Japanese sweets begins with mochi, a sticky rice cake, known as the oldest processed food in Japan. After the year 630, the sweets were influenced by karagashi (Chinese pastries) which kentoshi (Japanese envoys to China) brought back to Japan during the period when they were sent to China 19 times.
What is the purple dessert in Japan? ›
These delectable Japanese Purple Sweet Potato tarts are made with 100% Okinawan purple sweet potatoes and have a crunchy tart that is made using a secret recipe. This exclusive Okinawan snack uses real purple sweet potatoes, and does not contain any preservatives or unnatural food colors.
What is the Japanese jelly like dessert? ›
Kanten is a popular traditional Japanese jelly that people enjoy most as a summer dessert. It's made of Kanten powder which is also called Vegan Gelatin and is similar to Agar powder. Usually, a mixture of kanten and fruit juice is used to create Fruit Kanten.
What is the Japanese dessert with ice? ›
Kakigōri (かき氷) is a Japanese shaved ice dessert flavored with syrup and a sweetener, often condensed milk.
What is Moshi dessert? ›
Mochi (pronounced MOE-chee) is a Japanese dessert made of sweet glutinous rice flour or mochigome. Mochi dough is often tinted with green tea powder (matcha) or other food colorings and wrapped around a sweet center to form a small, bite-sized confection with a chewy, smooth, elastic texture.
What is cake called in Japan? ›
The English word “cake” spelled in katakana is ケーキ (which is pronounced something like “keh-kee” in Japanese).
Is Pocky a Japanese dessert? ›
Pocky (ポッキー, Pokkī, Japanese pronunciation: [poꜜkkiː]) /ˈpɒki/ is a Japanese sweet snack food produced by the Ezaki Glico food company. Pocky was first sold in 1966, and was invented by Yoshiaki Koma. It consists of coated biscuit sticks.
Japanese cheesecake (Japanese: スフレチーズケーキ), also known as soufflé-style cheesecake, cotton cheesecake, or light cheesecake, is a variety of cheesecake that is usually lighter in texture and less sweet than North American-style cheesecakes.
What are the best desserts in Japan? ›
10 Must Try Japanese Sweets And Desserts
- Wagashi. These beautifully crafted and delicate sweets made from mochi (a kind of sticky rice) and red bean paste are as quintessentially Japanese as it gets. ...
- Manju. ...
- Kakigori. ...
- Dango. ...
- Taiyaki. ...
- Anmitsu. ...
- Crepes. ...
- Fluffy Pancakes.
What is the oldest Japanese sweet? ›
One of Japan's oldest forms of sweets is known as wagashi (和菓子), a traditional confectionary that has been enjoyed for centuries. The history of wagashi can be dated back to around the time of the Edo Period in Japan, in the 1600s up to the mid 1860s.
What is the world's oldest dessert? ›
Ashure (Noah's Pudding) is thought to be the oldest dessert in the world, first made by Noah after his fabled landfall at Mt Ararat. It is a delightful mix of dried fruit, nuts, grains and beans (yes, beans!) made in Turkey and all over the Middle East. Give it a try - you'll be glad you did!
What is the most eaten thing in Japan? ›
There are various kinds of sushi dishes, such as nigirizushi (hand formed sushi), makizushi (rolled sushi) and chirashi (sushi rice topped with raw fish). Sushi is the most famous Japanese dish outside of Japan, and one of the most popular dishes inside Japan, as well.
What is the most popular cookie in Japan? ›
Japan's number one cookie option is the Shiroi Koibito, which translates to "white lover." This delightful cookie features crispy langue de chat biscuits, which are filled with a white or dark chocolate filling. The cookies are buttery, while the filling is rich and melts in your mouth.
Do Japanese eat a lot of sweets? ›
In Japan, people often enjoy eating sweet things like fruit or confectionery in between meals. Many different sweets and snacks have been created using uniquely Japanese ideas.
What does dango taste like? ›
The flavour is delicate, providing a gentle sweetness and subtle taste of rice. The green and pink dumplings are either coloured or flavoured and coloured to add variety. I used matcha to create the green colour, which also added that nice subtle green tea flavour to the green dango.