It felt like a minute since I’d been to Rabbit Moon・兎月 and of course they did not disappoint. A cute flower filled with white bean paste to go with my spiky thistles.
Variations on a Flower
Category: Home
Easiest Decision Ever
Some choices are hard, but sometimes you go to Kichi Zoh・吉蔵 not knowing what you want and see a namagashi in the shape of a bunny and you know instantly you have made the right decision.
It was wonderful.
7/11 Snack
On Monday I had gone out completely forgetting the 2 places closest to me were closed. Not ready to admit defeat, I found a green grape and an nin dōfu・杏仁豆腐. It’s a Chinese sweet almond pudding that I love all iterations of. Sad that I missed out but at least there’s 7/11 to fall back on in case of emergency.
Summer Mochi
The sun is out, its hot and beautiful and time for sasa mochi・笹餅. Sasa is the word for the bamboo leaf that the light, chewy mochi filled with red bean paste is wrapped in. This mochi is more moist and less dense than usual and kind, and they are best served nice and cool.
A Nice Sturdy Snack
This is an ikinari dango・いきなり団子 from Rabbit Moon・兎月, which is fairly popular around this area but from what I understand is much more famous in Kumamoto. It’s a quite sizable steamed dumpling filled with red bean and sweet potato. Some are so large they can double as lunch. In the winter I often toast them for a minute but it’s still summer and hot and humid here so I passed on that this time.
Interactive Jelly
This is actually another sweet I got while staying in my old neighborhood in Tokyo a little white ago. It’s a lightly sweet jelly inside of a bamboo tube. Always love a prop, you can use the plunger to push in through a little grid that slices it into cute jelly noodles. Then you pour a sweet, black sauce over it, similar to molasses. It was a very fun, light snack that I loved, even if it made me nostalgic for my old home!
Sangenjaya Sakura Sweet
When I was transiting through Tokyo on vacation I stayed in my old neighborhood, Sangenjaya. I have many, many old favourites there, of every variety but of course I had to stop off at one a classic sweet shop I adore. Their yuzu and white bean monaka (wafer) is never far from my memories of the area.
Hokkaido Souvenir Snacks
Can’t go on vacation without souvenirs! In Japan they’re called omiyage・お土産 and almost exclusively refer to food. These butter sandwich cookies are one of the most popular from Hokkaido and are very near the top of my list. Buttery white chocolate and raisins sandwiched between more buttery biscuits. Worth a trip up north alone!
Edamame Mochi
I had to spend the night in Tokyo because of flight transfers, and while it was not my goal to spend a moment in Tokyo during the Olympics amid the current situation I have to admit I was happy to spend the night in my old neighborhood. Predictably, I went to one of my favourite sweet shops, Iseya and brought a bunch of cute snacks back with me. This one is a edamame mochi! Really the flavour is called zunda mochi・ずんだ餅 and it was perfect.
July Snack of the Month: Anmitsu・あんみつ
It pains me to think of how fast time is going by. Here we are over half way through my precious dessert calendar! Well, it’s a great one for summer. Anmitsu! Opalescent jelly cubes, red bean paste, fruits, and black sugar syrup served chilled in a super cute cup from Kichi Zoh ・吉蔵. A cute, light treat perfect for a hot summer day.
