japanese (359)
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Pxl 20210221 053756470

Ginza Akebono Strawberry Daifuku: For the most part, I've been able to try all the major traditional Japanese confectionary treats in my time in Japan, so I generally haven't been going out of my way to visit particular shops. However, if I see that a shop has a line, I'll take a look, especially as there are essentially no tourists in Tokyo now and so any place with a line is a local favorite. I hadn't known about this small shop in Ginza that opened right after WWII (about 60 years old), but their ichigo (strawberry) dai... (read more) 4.0/5.0

exceptional tokyo mochi ginza japanese ginzaakebono strawberry daifuku 4.0
Pxl 20210213 031012842

Sogetsu Kuromatsu Doriyaki: This doriyaki was an unexpected special gift from someone I met who knew about my snack blog. Because it was given to me, I didn't get to visit the shop directly, but the red bean pancake comes from Sogetsu, an almost 100-year-old brand whose shop in Kita-Ku attracts very long lines. The doriyaki has a marbled color, which is where its name Kuromatsu (black pine) comes from, as it resembles the bark of a tree. This coloring comes from a combination of brown sugar and honey used in the bat... (read more) 4.5/5.0

exceptional japanese tokyo redbean sogetsu kuromatsu doriyaki 4.5
Pxl 20210208 091348408

JA Foods Kabosu Juice: This small aluminum bottle contains a non-carbonated citrus juice with pulp from kabosu, a relative to yuzu that's popular in Japan. The fruit looks like a round lime and is green on the outside but orangish-yellow inside. The juice tastes a little bit like calamansi and generally is more concentrated in flavor than regular lime juice, while smelling of a mix of tangerine and lime. Enjoyable overall and unique - I'm glad to be getting to taste different types of citrus-flavored food here! 3.5/5.0

recommended drinks japanese citrus jafoods kabosu juice 3.5
Pxl 20210130 111910047

酢屋亀 Amazake: While they tend to be quite sweet, I do enjoy drinking amazake, a fermented rice drink made with koji that has a milky consistency and softened grains of rice mixed in. It's a little bit tangy and sweet, sort of like a yogurt drink but less thick and a little boozy (though this one has 0% alcohol). Even in small bottles, I tend not to drink the whole thing in one go since the flavor is quite potent and definitely on the sugary side. Purchased from Santouka. 3.5/5.0

recommended drinks japanese amazake 3.5 rice
Pxl 20210211 101344370

Denroku Okay Pea Eel Peanut Snacks: Rice cracker balls that each contain a single roasted peanut, with a squid-flavored coating that's full of umami. Uses squid from Hokkaido. The balls are slightly smaller than puffed cheese balls but are just as snackable. Kind of like how some cereals feature only granola clusters rather than a mix of flakes and sliced nuts, these peanut rice snacks are typically the best part of rice cracker mixes, so I'm happy to have a bag of the most tasty bits. 3.5/5.0

recommended japanese coop ricecrackers denroku okay pea eel peanut snacks 3.5
Pxl 20210129 030528384

Denroku Rice cracker mix: A standard but tasty mix of rice cracker snacks with small dried silver fish and peanut-encased crunchy rice balls. Sweet soy glaze coats many of the rice crackers, but the overall flavor leans savory. 3.0/5.0

japanese coop ricecrackers denroku rice cracker mix 3.0