(DailyExpertNews) — Japan has long been internationally famous for its varied and delicious dishes, from sushi to ramen, and such staples appear on menus around the world.
Unlike Japanese sweets — called wagashi — Western-style confectioneries, known as “yogashi,” are usually made from flour and sugar. But Japanese versions are generally less sweet compared to their western counterparts.
Many of the classic yogashis popular in the West made their way to Japan centuries ago and have since been adapted, perfected and popularized. Some of the bigger dessert brands have already opened chains in other cities in Asia, from Bangkok to Taipei.
“I think the point of trying to create new things while incorporating (classical methods) leads to further evolution,” Akabame says.
“Japanese customers want to taste as much as possible and know their favorites. These competitive markets give some chefs fame and create popular products,” Kawamoto told DailyExpertNews Travel.
Given Japan’s status as a leading travel destination prior to the pandemic, a successful new take on a pie would often quickly become trendy in other Asian countries.
Here are some of the popular cakes and desserts that Japanese chefs have made their own.
Strawberry Shortcake
The Japanese strawberry pie has become a popular winter pie in Asia. Here’s the version at Good Good, a bakery in Hong Kong.
Good good
After establishing a pastry shop in Yokohama in 1910, Fujii went to the United States to hone his pastry skills and knowledge. There he tried strawberry pie for the first time and fell in love.
A year later, Fujii returned to Japan to create his version: an airy and fluffy layered sponge cake topped with velvety cream and topped with candied strawberries.
Considered a luxury to enjoy on special occasions, the festively colored dessert is now synonymous with Christmas in Japan. Hotels, department stores and bakeries all promote their versions of strawberry tarts during the holiday season.
The tradition and popularity of the Japanese version of the iconic cake has even crossed borders.
“I put it on our menu every winter because, despite its simplicity, it’s a cake that makes you so happy. It’s simple, but there’s so much room to explore and improve.”
Baumkuchen
The Japanese Juccheim Group recently invented an AI oven that bakes Baumkuchen on a spit.
Juchheim Group
Baked on a spit-like rotisserie, Baumkuchen is a round German cake with golden circular lines that resemble the annual ring of a tree (see image at the top of this story).
“Baumkuchen in Germany is defined by the German Confectionary Handicraft Association. On the other hand, Japanese is undefined and has many versions made by many chefs,” says Kawamoto when asked to compare the two.
Though now a symbol of peace, longevity and eternal love, Japan’s Baumkuchen had a grim beginning.
According to legend, Karl Juchheim – founder of the Juchheim Group – opened a pastry shop in 1909 in the Chinese city of Jiaozhou, which was under German concession.
When World War I broke out, Juchheim—who served as a soldier in the German army—was sent with his wife to internment camps in Japan. There he started baking and selling the first Baumkuchen cakes in Japan in 1919. After the end of the war, the couple stayed in Japan and opened E. Juchheim in Yokohama in 1922.
Baumkuchen became popular in the following decades for a variety of reasons: there was a boom in wedding cakes in the 1960s, followed by increased demand for local gourmet cakes in the 1980s, and the rise of Japanese sponge cakes in the 2000s.
Today, the Juchheim Group has stores throughout Asia and Baumkuchen has become an integral part of Japanese dessert menus.
Castella
Bunmeido is one of Japan’s best-known Castella brands.
Bunmeido Tokyo
Castella’s origin story combines miscommunication and a 500-year-old trading history.
In 1543, some Portuguese merchants were the first documented Europeans to reach Japan after a storm blew their ships off course. In the following years, the Portuguese built a trading relationship with Japan.
It soon became known locally as “Castella” and became a popular dessert across the country.
Today, Castella is made in a variety of flavors — from chocolate to matcha — and the thick-sliced cake with a caramelized top is perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.
Bunmeido and Fukusaya are two popular Japanese brands that sell these cakes.
Mont Blanc
Namashibori Montblanc is a specialty chain that serves Mont Blanc with freshly pressed chestnut toppings.
IMM Food Services Inc
The Mont Blanc may appear frequently in bakeries around the world, but few countries have shown as much affection for this chestnut vermicelli-topped dessert as Japan.
There are even specialty stores for different styles of Mont Blanc — from a six-person waguri (Japanese chestnut) Mont Blanc store that hands out a limited number of tickets each morning at 9:30 a.m. to Namashibori Montblanc, a chain of stores with its own chestnut squeezer to ensure maximum freshness. .
In 1933, after the founder experienced an amazing walk on the actual Mont Blanc in France, he asked permission from both the mayor of Chamonix (where Mont Blanc is located) and the then president of Hotel Mont Blanc in the city before launching the name his dessert shop in Tokyo in honor of the delicious treat.
whipped cream Puffs
Beard Papa’s is one of the largest Japanese cream puffs chains.
Beard Daddies
Akabame says that despite the evolution of so many great desserts, his all-time favorite is a classic sweet — cream puffs.
The pastry chef is not alone.
In the 1850s, Yokohama was a designated foreign settlement and was open to foreigners living and working there. It was there that a French baker introduced Japan to his first cream puffs.
The candy quickly became a hit, with confectioners from all over Japan traveling to Yokohama to learn the craft.
Cheesecake
Morozoff Bakery is said to have made the first Japanese-style cheesecake in 1969.
Morozoff Limited
Founded by a Russian confectioner in Kobe in 1931, Morozoff started out as a chocolate shop. But it wasn’t until 1969, after then-president Tomotaro Kuzuno tasted a cheesecake in Berlin, that the brand was inspired to create a Japanese version.
Japanese cheesecakes are often praised for their light and fluffy texture – a marked departure from the dense versions that many know and love.
Souffle cheesecake, also called dancing cheesecake, is the fluffiest version of all Japanese cheesecake varieties. It’s so light and airy that it wobbles when it moves.
It is usually made by folding cream cheese into a meringue – the foam is made from beaten egg whites, resulting in its very fluffy texture.
Souffle pancakes
The Japanese pancake restaurant Flipper’s specializes in airy soufflé pancakes with delicious toppings.
flippers
Similar to the idea of souffle cheesecake, Japanese souffle pancakes are hotcakes made from meringue, which results in an extremely airy texture.
The origins of these delicious and highly photogenic treats are obscure, but most would agree that the trend started in Japan in the past five to ten years.
Now eaten throughout the day, not just for breakfast, these stacks of fluffy, wobbly pancakes are now appearing in Instagram feeds around the world, accompanied by colorful fruits and cream and are available in many specialty stores around the world.
Top Image Credit: Juchheim Group