Japan is a country that has a distinctive culinary scene with rich food traditions and one of the most popular cuisines in the world for all the right reasons. Japanese Desserts are all about subtle flavours exploding in your mouth with a dash of sugar rush. Every country’s food traditions define its culture and exploring the food scene in Japan is all about finding the right balance and variety. With several cooking techniques these desserts are prepared with utmost care, balance and natural flavours of the ingredients that is carefully crafted to give you the best 8 classic Japanese desserts that you must indulge in.
8 Best Japanese Desserts That You Must Indulge In
Carefully crafted using the natural flavours of ingredients, with a subtle taste of sugar, here’s a list of 8 classic Japanese desserts that will steal your heart away and get you swooning, wanting for more!
1. Mochi
A traditional Japanese dessert, it has a versatile taste made from special sticky rice called mochi gome. The mochi rice is cooked and shaped to become soft Mochi balls, which can be toasted, dipped into sauce or sweetened with a topping called kinako.
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2. Daifuku
Daifuku are basically just pockets of mochi that are filled with various sweet fillings and are a very common dessert in Japan. You’ll often witness daifuku ice cream during the hot summer season, amongst all flavours, the most preferred daifuku ice cream flavour is red bean paste, which has a subtle sweet taste and is ball of refreshment to catch a respite from the hot summer days.
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3. Dango
Again, very similar to mochi, dango can be made from a variety of flour and don’t need to be pounded. Dango can be filled, grilled or dipped into a sweet sauce, but they are often skewered. Dango are often flavoured and coloured when sold at festivals like hanami.
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4. Taiyaki
You can find a Taiyaki out on the streets where the vendors are whipping out fresh Taiyakis everyday. It’s a perfect winter dessert which will warm your system and give you an oozy feeling. Taiyakis are basically fish shaped pancakes that come with delicious fillings like red bean paste and served warm. Other fillings also include custard, chocolate, sweet potato or even savoury varieties like sausage, cheese or gyoza filling.
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5. Dorayaki
This is basically anko paste filled between two castella pancakes. Castella is a type of sponge cake that was brought to Japan from Portugal in the 16th century and continues its legacy today. Currently, the Dorayaki is served with fillings of Nutella between the pancakes and tastes absolutely comforting.
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6. Anmitsu
This is a Japanese parfait which is crafted from agar-agar jelly, the gar is melted in water or fruit juice to create the gelatin. It is served in the bowl with anko, peas and a variety of fruits such as peaches, pineapples, cherries, and satsuma orange.
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7. Anko
Anko is made out of adzuki beans which were a common way to sweeten the desserts before processed sugar wasn’t introduced in Japan. Now, it is served as a common topping and filling for Japanes desserts or it can also be eaten independently. Anko is a sweet paste of adzuki beans.
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8. Coffee Jelly
It’s a minimalistic dessert that has a simple recipe to it. This dessert is basically a jelly made with black coffee that is often topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. You would often this type of dessert at old cafes or restaurants in Japan.
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Now that you’re acquainted with Japanese desserts, make sure you try these and have a sinful indulgence while you’re holidaying in Japan. Pick a dish of your choice and try these unique desserts to unravel the culinary scene of Japan. What are you waiting for?
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Frequently Asked Questions About Japanese Desserts
What desserts do the Japanese eat?
Japanese people have a strong fondness for desserts. Some of their most favorite desserts include:
Mochi ice cream – made from pounded sticky rice
Sata Andagi – a sweet made from deep-fried buns of dough
Parfait – Ice cream scoop on the bed of corn flakes that is topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit and then served in a parfait glass
Castella – A simple cake made from flour, eggs, and sugar
Wagashi – A combination that includes daifuku (mochi rice cake with sweetened bean paste filling), dango (sweet rice dumplings), and yokan (a jelly dessert)
Kohi Zeri – A coffee jelly
What are Japanese sweets made of?
Rice and red-bean paste are the two main ingredients used in making Wagashi or the traditional Japanese sweets. People in Japan have been making sweets since before the introduction of modern sugar by using naturally sweet plant sap and flower nectar.
Some of the common ingredients used in traditional Japanese sweets include:
Momiji Manju (in Hiroshima) – Castella cake filled with sweet red bean paste
Ichigo Daifuku (in Osaka) – Made of mochi, red bean paste, and a strawberry
Shingen Momo (in Yamanashi) – A type of Manju, made from white bean paste & peach jelly
What is the best Japanese dessert?
Six traditional and classic Japanese desserts you must try when traveling to Japan include:
Mochi – Toasted sticky rice calls eaten with Kinako topping
Daifuku – A kind of mochi, stuffed with a variety of sweet fillings
Taiyaki – Fish-shaped pancakes with red bean paste
Anko – Lumpy paste of Azuki beans used as toppings on desserts
Honey Toast – Large, fluffy pieces of toast caramelized with honey and topped with ice cream and fruits
Anmitsu – Made from Anko and cubes of agar
How much does Mochi cost?
A single serving of Mochi usually costs around INR 326 ($4.59) at Jet or INR 3,546 ($49.99) for a 24-piece pack at Mr Mochi. You can relish classic flavors of Mochi in chocolate, vanilla, green tea, coffee, strawberry, and mango in four six-pack boxes (24 pieces).
Which Mochi flavor is the best?
The ideal Mochi flavor totally depends on your taste. Mochi is available in mouth-watering flavors like:
– Mango Madness
– Green Tea Zen
– Chocolate Lovers
– Strawberry Sweetness
– Red Bean Mochi Ice Cream
What do the Japanese eat the most?
A Japanese breakfast mostly includes rice, grilled fish, miso soup, and Japanese pickles. Japanese also like to roll the rice up in dried seaweed or Nori and eat it with soy sauce. Natto, which is fermented soybeans, is also a popular breakfast.
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Being an army kid, Yashasvi has had a fair share of traveling around the country and collecting erratic experiences in her little adventure jar. Choosing to follow her heart and combining her passion into a full-time job, she has been writing blogs about travel, lifestyle, and food for 2 years.
