When you think of Japanese food, your mind would, quite naturally, travel in the direction of sushi, sashimi and ramen. But wait! Just lift the covers on the extensive Japanese fare, and discover Japanese desserts that will tantalise your taste buds and indulge your sweet tooth. Here are some desserts that we think you will definitely relish.

Green Tea Cake

So who knew you could brew up a dessert with green tea? Matcha is fast becoming a popular ingredient in desserts, lending its pleasing colour and flavour to food. A simple matcha cake with vanilla lemon cream frosting is light and moist, promising both taste and nutrition. Cranking it up a notch, you could try the mini green tea ice box cake that pairs decadent and crisp chocolate wafers with unsweetened matcha whipped cream to create gustatory magic.

Sakura Mochi Dessert Cake with Fresh Green Tea

Mochi are a quintessential element in Japanese desserts. These chewy rice cakes may be paired with various ingredients for other unique dessert offerings.

The spirit of spring has been encompassed in the delicious sakura mochi dessert cake, which features sweet, lightly pink rice cakes containing red bean paste in the middle and wrapped attractively in a pickled sakura leaf. It’s a popular treat for hanami parties. Pair this with some steaming fresh green tea, and you’re in dessert heaven.

Daifuku

These desserts, again, use the sweet, sticky mochi and contain various sweet fillings. These little patties with soybean filling are visually very appealing in their white, moulded shapes, and ooze deliciousness from the first bite.

Matcha Warabi Mochi with Mochi Ice Cream

While mochi is usually prepared using glutinous rice, warabi mochi incorporates bracken starch and is dipped in kinako, sweet-toasted soybean flour. They’re made into dumplings and served often with mochi ice cream, both flavoured with the strains of the green matcha.

Dango

These chewy rice dumplings are derivatives of mochi, and they acquire most of their taste from their flavouring with sugar syrup, lending both taste and attractive colours to the dessert. You can choose from different varieties of dango, depending on their seasoning. So you have anko, with red bean paste, chadango, flavoured with green tea, and many such. If you’re adventurous, try toasting them over an open fire like marshmallows. Dango is best enjoyed with the ever-famous matcha.

Honey Toast

The next time you visit a cafe in Japan, ask for honey toast, and you’ll be treated to a mouth-watering and hearty dessert that consists of a thick slice of toast, caramelised enticingly, and loaded with chopped fruit, honey, butter and ice cream. This unusually large dessert could almost double up as a meal in itself!

Japanese Cheesecake

While you may think there’s nothing Japanese about cheesecake, the truth is, Japanese cheesecake is completely different from what you’re probably familiar with. It’s less rich and less sweet than its Western counterpart. But the best part about it is the light, fluffy and creamy texture that’s almost velvety smooth. You’ll find this mostly in Hokkaido, where dairy products are found in plenty.

These sweet treat represent only the very tip of the iceberg in Japan’s dessert kingdom. There are so many more, equally, if not more delectable dishes that you will find fascinating, and amazing from the very first bite. Try them!

If you are planning a gourmet tour in Japan and want to taste the Japanese desserts, do not hesitate to contact your luxury travel designer Mr. Isao Numano.