Japanese Desserts

Mochi, the tiny cakes made out of glutinous rice, are an important part of Japanese cuisine and culture. The preparation of mochi starts with a time-consuming process of pounding boiled or steamed rice, usually the glutinous mochigome var... READ MORE

Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets that are usually made from natural, plant-based ingredients such as grains and azuki beans. The sweet treats are typically served with tea and are classified into three categories: namagashi (fresh ... READ MORE

Daifuku, often referred to as daifukumochi, is a popular Japanese confectionery. It is usually shaped into small round balls, which consist of a chewy outer layer and a creamy, sweet filling. The daifuku shell is made with mo... READ MORE

Manjū is a steamed Japanese confectionery product shaped into various forms and incorporating different ingredients and flavors. Usually, there are two main parts of manju, the outer shell, created out of kneaded wheat or rice flour, and the cream... READ MORE

Kasutera is a traditional sponge cake made with sugar, flour, eggs, and starchy syrup. This Nagasaki specialty is raised solely by egg foam, with no added butter or oil, and has a soft, moist, and spongy texture. The cake is also known as Cast... READ MORE

Kakigōri is a Japanese dessert consisting of shaved ice and flavored, typically fruit-based syrup. It can also be sweetened with condensed or evaporated milk and topped with mochi and sweet bean paste. Its origins date back to the Haeian period (7... READ MORE

Dango is a traditional sweet treat, presented as rice flour and sugar dumplings skewered on a bamboo stick. Some region-specific versions use other types of flour (such as potato or millet flour) or different ingredients such as green tea or azuki... READ MORE

Monaka is a type of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) consisting of an azuki bean jam filling that is sandwiched between two thin mochi wafers. The wafers are crispy, dry, and neutral in flavor, coming in various shapes, colors, and s... READ MORE

Kaminari-okoshi, often called merely okoshi, is a popular Japanese confectionery, similar to rice crispy treats. The main ingredient in okoshi is expanded rice, created by roasting rice grains until they pop. A mix of sugar and butter or ... READ MORE

Purin is a popular Japanese dessert similar to flan or crème caramel. It’s a soft, creamy custard pudding topped with a layer of caramel sauce. Unlike Western-style puddings, purin has a firmer, jiggly texture that holds its shape whe... READ MORE

Taiyaki is a Japanese fish-shaped cake that is often consumed as a snack, made from flour and filled with azuki sweet bean paste. It is usually served warm and is often found at most taiyaki stands at any winter festival in Japan. Most people beli... READ MORE

Known as soufflé cheesecake in Japan and cotton cheesecake or Japanese cheesecake outside of Japan, this light and fluffy dessert is made by incorporating whisked egg whites into the cake mixture (eggs, milk, suga... READ MORE

By far one of the most popular wagashi (traditional Japanese confections) types, dorayaki is a delicious snack consisting of a sweet filling sandwiched between two fluffy pancakes. Its name stems from dora, the Japanese ... READ MORE

Japanese zenzai is an unusual dessert which combines thick red bean soup with mochi, the famous sticky rice cake. It can be made by boiling dried red beans or diluting anko (sweetened red bean paste) in water. The soup can either have a coarse or ... READ MORE

Yokan is a Japanese sweet treat that has a form of a firm jelly. It is made with red bean paste, sugar, and agar-agar. The jelly is formed in long rectangular blocks and served sliced into smaller pieces. The two main varieties include neri yo... READ MORE

Konpeitō is a popular Japanese sweet, a type of wagashi made almost entirely of sugar, characterized by its aesthetically unusual shape and colors. It was introduced to Japan in the 16th century by Portuguese traders. The word konpeit... READ MORE

One of the best known meibutsu or regional specialty products of Kyoto, yatsuhashi is a type of wagashi - traditional Japanese confections that are often served with tea and sold mainly as souvenir sweets called miyagegashiREAD MORE

Mitarashi dango is a popular Japanese treat which consists of skewered rice cakes covered in a sweet, sticky soy sauce glaze. They are traditionally made with five round cakes, just like they were initially prepared at the Kamo Mitarashi Tea H... READ MORE

Anmitsu is a traditional sweet made with anko and agar cubes (a translucent jelly with a slightly neutral flavor). It is usually served in a bowl, while mitsu (black syrup) or kinako (roasted soybean flour) are often served on th... READ MORE

Namagashi, meaning raw sweets, is a Japanese sweet and a type of wagashi, consisting of natural ingredients such as fruit jellies or sweetened bean paste. It is considered an edible piece of art due to its beautiful design, refle... READ MORE

Warabimochi is a sweet Japanese concoction reminiscent of jelly. It is made from bracken starch, and is traditionally dusted with sweet toasted soybean flour known as kinako. Warabimochi is one of the most popular sweets in the Kansai are... READ MORE

Sesame seed balls or goma dango is a variety of Japanese sweet treats known as dango. These small rice flour balls are filled with sweet red beans (anko) on the inside, while their exterior is crispy due to the process of deep-fr... READ MORE

Rakugan are traditional Japanese sweets prepared in many different colors and shapes reflecting seasonal, holiday, or regional themes. They are made by pressing sugar, soybean flour, and various powders in traditional wooden molds, known as ka... READ MORE

Ichigo daifuku is one of the most interesting versions of the traditional Japanese daifuku sweets. All daifuku varieties consist of a chewy mochi shell, made with pounded glutinous rice and various fillings which are hidden inside the she... READ MORE

Amanattō is a traditional dry dessert consisting of boiled beans (usually azuki or black soybeans), sugar, and sugar syrup. It is believed that the dessert originated in the early 1860s, when sugar became available in Japan for the first time. The... READ MORE

Sakuramochi is a traditional dessert that is made to depict sakura (cherry blossom), so the rice cake is usually pink in color. Most of the times, sakuramochi contains red bean paste and it is covered with a salty cherry blossom leaf, whi... READ MORE

Mame daifuku is a beloved Japanese sweet dating back to the Edo period. The sweet consists of a rice cake filled with anko, soybeans, or azuki beans. Mame daifuku is commonly served at Japanese tea ceremonies, although it can also be served alongs... READ MORE

Higashi are traditional, pressed, dry Japanese sweets usually consisting of sugar and rice flour and often containing 10% or less moisture, meaning they have a very long shelf life. They belong to the group of wagashi - traditional, small... READ MORE

Kibi dango are simple Japanese sweets that are deeply rooted in Japanese culture. They consist of sticky dough that combines rice and millet flour, and the combination is then shaped into large round balls. Their history is intertwined with Okayam... READ MORE

Kusa mochi is a sweet Japanese treat made with glutinous rice flour infused with mugwort paste. It is characterized by its deep green color, delicate flavor, and the typical sticky texture. Even though it can be eaten plain, it is often incorporat... READ MORE

Imagawayaki is a Japanese snack that is enjoyed throughout the country and is known under various names. The dish consists of a cake-like sponge that is filled with sweetened anko (red bean) mixture. The thick, egg-based batter is poured in specia... READ MORE

Hanami dango are sweet mochi rice dumplings on a skewer, and each of them has a different color – pink is used to symbolize cherry blossoms, white represents the remaining snow of the past winter, and green is used... READ MORE

Kuzumochi is a light Japanese dessert made with starchy kuzuko powder. This natural and unprocessed powder is extracted from the kuzu plant and is widely used in Japan as a thickening agent. To make kuzumochi, it is simply dissol... READ MORE

Botamochi or ohagi is a sweet Japanese confection consisting of glutinous rice stuffed inside a ball of azuki bean paste. The name of this treat consists of two words: bota, which is derived from botan, meaning tree ... READ MORE

Mizu yokan is a light Japanese summer dessert made with red bean paste and agar-agar. The combination results in a creamy treat with a jelly-like consistency. Since it is always served chilled, it is typically enjoyed during the warmer seasons. Ne... READ MORE

Characterized by their soft and light texture, mushi pan are Japanese steamed buns that come in a variety of flavors. They are prepared with a simple base that employs flour, sugar, baking powder, and eggs, and are traditionally steamed in small-s... READ MORE

This classic mochi variety combines chewy rice cakes made from glutinous rice and kinako—roasted soybean powder. The cakes can be made from scratch, but since their preparation is time-consuming, most people use pre-packed versions ... READ MORE

Neri yokan is characterized by a slightly thicker and heavier consistency than the lighter mizu yokan. In its simplest form, this traditional Japanese treat is prepared with a base of red bean paste that is mixed with sugar and a thickeni... READ MORE

Mitsumame is a famous Japanese summer delicacy made with jelly and black sugar syrup. It is often accompanied by different types of fruit and other refreshing condiments. The base of each mitsumame are see-through jelly cubes made with agar-agar, ... READ MORE

Kashiwa-mochi is a chewy Japanese rice cake that is filled with red bean paste and wrapped in oak leaves. Even though the leaves are not edible, they provide these tender cakes with an unusual earthy flavor. It is one of the traditional mochi vari... READ MORE

Uirō is a sweet Japanese cake consisting of sugar, rice flour, and water. The cake is traditionally steamed until it develops a chewy texture. It dates back to the 16th century, when it was used as a part of Japanese tea ceremonies, a tradition th... READ MORE

Kagami is a festive mochi variety that consists of two mochi cakes, one slightly larger than the other. A small mandarin (dai-dai) is placed on top of the cake, and the entire combination is decorated with colorful papers, dried kelp, and... READ MORE