easy desserts & recipes: not pigs in the blanket a castella pancake called dorayaki

A lot of Japanese desserts tend to be squishy. “Squishy” is not an inviting word to describe something edible, nor the term “glutinous”. Traditional Japanese desserts are just that: sticky, chewy, or mushy such as ohagi (glutinous rice cakes) and kurikinton (pureed sweet potato with candied chestnuts). But picture perfect, nevertheless. The Japanese always eat with their eyes as well as their mouths. This makes the preparation of the common Japanese desserts tedious and meticulous, much like creating works of art. One of the few Japanese desserts I love, and not to mention an exception to the description “sticky,” is castella. It is a Japanese sponge cake made typically from flour, sugar, eggs, and starch syrup. History indicates that Portuguese merchants introduced this dessert in the 16th century and it was called Pão de Castela, which means “bread from Castile.” It is known to be the specialty of Nagasaki. Although it... Read the Rest →

 

easy desserts & recipes: not pigs in the blanket a castella pancake called dorayaki

A lot of Japanese desserts tend to be squishy. “Squishy” is not an inviting word to describe something edible, nor the term “glutinous”. Traditional Japanese desserts are just that: sticky, chewy, or mushy such as ohagi (glutinous rice cakes) and kurikinton (pureed sweet potato with candied chestnuts). But picture perfect, nevertheless. The Japanese always eat with their eyes as well as their mouths. This makes the preparation of the common Japanese desserts tedious and meticulous, much like creating works of art. One of the few Japanese desserts I love, and not to mention an exception to the description “sticky,” is castella. It is a Japanese sponge cake made typically from flour, sugar, eggs, and starch syrup. History indicates that Portuguese merchants introduced this dessert in the 16th century and it was called Pão de Castela, which means “bread from Castile.” It is known to be the specialty of Nagasaki. Although it... Read the Rest →