Little bits and pieces of my 3 favourite things in Fukuoka
I am one of the most fortunate and lucky people I know, particularly in the realm of care packages. My family sends me packages that are the stuff of dreams, and the most recent one was no exception! My mom made her own mint patties and peanut butter cups! They were so yummy and funny and cute. A nice change from my usual afternoon snack.
Another one from Kogetsudo・湖月堂, this time featuring some pretty grocery store flowers. I made the vase last week! I designed the shape digitally and uploaded it to a laser printer to cut out the wood.
Walking through Yakuin yesterday I passed by Kogetsdo・湖月堂. I went in for the first time, despite its huge popularity in Kyushu. I got this very cute little abstract camellia flower wagashi filled with white bean paste. A fun treat for the day!
A friend of mine recently visited from Tokyo and brought some snacks. There is a huge industry and tradition of omiyage・お土産 which are souvenirs but exclusively food items. If you go anywhere, a different prefecture, city or Disneyland, you bring omiyage for all your friends, family and coworkers. So my friend brought these super delicious omiyage from Tokyo, where he lives.
It’s a little strawberry ‘egg’ with a jammy yolk and light cake-y exterior with a strawberry chocolate shell. It was surprisingly incredible! Chewy, sweet and a mix of lots of textures. Makes me miss living in Tokyo a bit.
I love it! Hard to beat a sweet, sunny day with a nice walk and flowers everywhere.
The wisteria were a little early, but I think Kichi-Zoh might have outdone themselves with this perfect little namagashi.
The outside of the store is just as magical as you could possibly imagine.
On a sunny day I passed by a florist and they were selling these incredible branches at a price that I could just not say no to. And why would I? I love it and my beautiful-beyond-words namagashi from Kichi Zoh.
I got the sweetest package from back home and in it were these adorable handmade Easter chocolates from my Mom. It’s a tiny bit late, but better late than never! Easter isn’t really celebrated here, which is surprising because it’s such an adorable holiday.
One of the most popular hikes in Fukuoka is Hōmanzan, which I’ve done a few times but never added Sangunsan・三郡山 to the route. Between the two summits there are a lot of little waterfalls and streams I wanted to check out.
The summit of Sangunsan is a lot like Sefuri. Wrapped with barbed wire and quite industrial. Oh well, it was nice to check it off the list and there was a nice spot so sit and have lunch.
Just beyond there, I climbed down to see the waterfalls. It was so cute! The tsubaki flowers had recently fallen and the ground was covered with them. Against the green mossy rocks and sounds of water trickling everywhere it was pretty magical.
A familiar view, at the top of Hōmanzan. The only surprise here was how quiet it was! It was a nice surprise as it’s often quite crowded at the top.
The way down to the shrine is always really lovely.
I’ve done this hike a few times but had somehow forgot it was a touch of a challenge, so I’m a bit more tired and sore than I thought I would be today. But good practice for my hike coming up this week!
Another day, another daifuku! This time a juicy preserved kumquat with white bean and a beautiful, chewy, orange mochi casing. This one was a bit sturdier than the last few daifukus this week. A nice treat!
Tea, Sweets and Trails 