While not typically thought of as a Japanese holiday, Japan has Valentine’s Day and adapted it to become unique to the Japanese people. Rooted in helping people with expressing their feelings, people give gifts of elegant chocolates and handmade sweets to the ones they love on February 14th.
This month we are taking you on a journey of exploration through this holiday, filled with rich Japanese sweets and chocolates. Enjoy Japanese cakes, jelly and tea while you experience a taste of Valentine’s in Japan.
By Yamani (Gifu)
Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Utilizing arabesque patterns as a part of their design, these plates have a unique and auspicious charm. In traditional Japanese culture, these patterns are often used in motifs for weddings as a symbol of good luck. Coming in one of five designs, we hope one of these Japanese mini side-dishes will bring you good fortune too.
By Satoen (Shizuoka)
Common Allergens: None
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Tea
Often considered a rare product, Japanese black tea (or koucha) is not something you see every day. Using an original production method, this Shizuoka grown tea has a gentle sweetness that works well when paired with Japanese food such as white rice or Japanese soup stocks.
By Minoya Arare Confectionery (Kanagawa)
Common Allergens: Dairy, Soy
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Glutinous rice (from Thailand), sugar, cocoa butter, lactose, vegetable oil, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, starch syrup / brightener, red beet pigment, emulsifier, fragrance, thickener (Arabic gum), milk component / Including soybeans
Combining sweet and salty, these mini arare crackers covered in chocolate have been lovingly crafted in Kanagawa. They are not only an addictive crunchy treat, but would also make a unique Valentine’s Day present.
By Kashihara (Tokyo)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Dairy, Soy, Wheat
May Contain Traces Of: Banana, Almond
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Chicken egg (domestic), sugar, flour, margarine, shortening, constarch, water candy, strawberry sauce (dextrose fructose syrup, sugar, strawberry concentrated juice), strawberry puree, western liquor, salt / emulsifier, swelling agent, fragrance, coloring agent (rack) , Caramel, carotene), acidulant, antioxidant (VE), eggs, wheat, dairy ingredients, soybeans
Using the famed Amaou strawberry from Fukuoka, known for its large size, sweet flavor and vibrant color, Kashihara’s strawberry baumkuchen is baked with fresh cream that mellows out the sweet and sour strawberry flavor.
By Seisansha (Osaka)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Dairy, Wheat, Soy
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Chicken egg (domestic), sugar, flour, margarine, water candy, cacao mass, cocoa powder / emulsifier, good bar, cacao pigment, sodium lactate, fragrance, antioxidant (VE), egg, wheat, milk component, soybean
Not too bitter, not too sweet, this rich castella cake continues to represent what that original creator wanted to express in 1940 - who wanted to remind people of the sweet memories of the good old days when western sweets were a luxury. We hope you’ll love a moment of indulgence too with this delicious, Japanese cake.
By Yuranosuke Confectionery (Tokyo)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Wheat, Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Dairy
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Chicken egg (domestic), sugar, flour, raw bean paste, shortening, reduced starch syrup, corn starch, processed fat and oil food, starch syrup, agar / sweetener (sorbitol), swelling agent, emulsifier (derived from soybean), flavor, colorant (carotene)
Blending both Japanese and Western sweets, soft baumkuchen cake surrounds sweet yokan for a light and gentle Japanese treat. Try pairing with tea to enjoy the full flavor of the yokan.
Morihaku Confectionery (Gifu)
Common Allergens: Apple
May Contain Traces Of: Eggs, Dairy, Wheat, Almonds, Sesame, Orange, Soy, Gelatin, Peach
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Fruit sugar Glucose liquid sugar, sugar, apple puree, concentrated strawberry juice / gelling agent (thickening polysaccharide), pH adjuster, coloring agent (vegetable pigment), flavoring, (some apples included)
Wrapped in a sweet bow (typical of Japanese Valentine’s day gifts), this refreshing jelly is almost too tempting to give as a present. Inside you’ll find a treat packed with the sweet and slightly sour flavor of fresh strawberries.
By Panex (Gifu)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Dairy, Wheat, Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Peanuts
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Wheat flour (domestic production), flower paste, margarine, sugar preparation, liquid whole egg, glucose, panelone seeds, white sugar, baker's yeast, processed fats and oils, foods made from salt, milk, etc., malt extract / processed starch , Emulsifiers, fragrances, thickening polysaccharides, pH adjusters, (including some wheat, eggs, dairy ingredients, and soybeans.
Start your Valentine’s with a delicious breakfast of Japanese chocolate danish. Inspired by the chocolate given at Valentine’s, this soft Japanese baked good perfectly balances the bitter-sweetness of the chocolate with mellow bread (and no added preservatives).
By Nagaraen (Gifu)
Common Allergens: Egg, Dairy, Wheat
May Contain Traces Of: Apple, Orange, Kiwi, Soy, Banana, Sesame, Almond
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Wheat (domestic production), sugar, shortening, chicken eggs, strawberry, skim milk powder, grape sugar, cornstarch, strawberry powder / fragrance, leavening agent, acidulant, emulsifier, antioxidant (VE), (partly wheat / milk component
Using the Nōhime strawberry, grown in Gifu, these elegant wafers highlight the best of the local area’s produce. Inside the crispy wafers, you’ll find a light strawberry cream. They even won an award from the Gifu Prefecture Tourism Association thanks to the quality of their Gaufrette Wafer.
By Nagaraen (Gifu)
Common Allergens: Egg, Dairy, Wheat, Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Apple, Squid, Orange, Kiwi, Banana, Sesame, Almond
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Wheat flour (domestic production), vegetable oil, lactose, sugar, chicken egg, strawberry, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, strawberry powder, cocoa butter / flavor, leavening agent, emulsifier,
Made with Gifu grown Nōhime strawberries, this delightful bite packs plenty of punch as the name might suggest. Blending the flavors of white chocolate and strawberry, this chocolate treat has an addictively crispy texture.
By Morihaku Confectionery (Gifu)
Common Allergens: Egg, Wheat, Shimp, Soy, Apple
May Contain Traces Of: Milk, Peanuts, Crab, Squid, Almond, Beef, Sesame, Salmon, Chicken, Pork, Gelatin, Seafood
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Ingredients:
Glutinous rice (domestic), mayonnaise, vegetable fats and oils, shrimp, shrimp flavor seasoning, seasoning salt, roasted shrimp powder / seasoning (amino acids, etc.), Ca phosphate, flavoring, coloring agent (red beet, caramel), spice extract
Popular as a snack for both adults and children alike in Japan, these bite-size Japanese rice crackers contrast the savory flavor of shrimp with acidic mayonnaise - and they make an amazing Valentine’s treat for those without a sweet tooth.
By Izumi Bussan (Tokyo)
Common Allergens: Wheat, Peanuts
May Contain Traces Of: Buckwheat, Sesame, Soy, Almond
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Syrup (domestic production), sugar, processed grain products (flour, sweetened starch, cornstarch, salt), peanuts, food oil / leavening agent, coloring agent (red 3, red 105)
Thought to be an auspicious snack in Japan, kaminari-okoshi is a crispy rice snack, flavored with syrup. However this snack offers a unique Valentine’s take on the traditional treat with it’s vivid pink colour and peanut accents.
By Marukiyo Confectionery (Okinawa)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Dairy, Wheat, Soy, Almond, Sesame
May Contain Traces Of: Peanuts, Banana, Apple, Yam
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Wheat flour, margarine, sugar, almond powder, liquid egg, shortening, mozuki powder, sesame, salt / emulsifier, fragrance, coloring agent (carotene), wheat, milk component, almond, egg, sesame, soybean
Shaped like a heart, this Okinawa-made crispy cookie is made by working Okinawan mozuku seaweed into the dough, giving it a unique sweet and savory flavor based from the seaweed, sesame, and many other ingredients that contribute to this biscuit.
By Senshuan (Hokkaido)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Dairy, Wheat, Soybeans
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Wheat flour (domestic production), margarine, natural cheese (edam, palmezan), chicken eggs, sugar, butter, fats and oils (refined edible fats and oils, vegetable fats and oils), dextrin, cheese enzymatic decomposition products (cheese, whole milk powder, salt), yeast Extract, starch (corn starch, salt), salt / bar good material, emulsifier, fragrance, colorant (carotene), antioxidant (tocopherol, VC, VE), (some include wheat, milk component, egg, soybean)
“Suki Desu” is the way one professes their feelings for another in Japanese, meaning simply “I Like You”. With a gentle and refreshingly mild flavor, the flavors in this Japanese cookie will bring back memories of a first love.
By Sanshu Confectionary (Saitama)
Common Allergens: Wheat, Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Egg, Dairy, Shrimp, Mackerel, Chicken, Pork, Gelatin, Sesame
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Sugar (domestic production), rice cracker dough (uruchi rice (domestic)), soy sauce (including wheat and soybeans), plum flakes, starch, chili pepper / seasoning (amino acids, etc.)
This crunchy Japanese snack uses the flavor of sweet and sour plum to create a balanced flavor, while also having a slightly rougher and more rustic texture to further enhance the experience.
By Gin No Shio (Hiroshima)
Common Allergens: Wheat, Peanuts, Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Egg, Dairy, Shimp, Crab
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Kaki no tane (starch, rice (domestic), soy sauce, sugar, dextrin, salt, protein hydrolyzate, chili, bonito extract, vegetable oil) (domestic production), peanuts (peanut, vegetable oil, salt) / modified starch , Seasoning (amino acids, etc.), Caramel color, Paprika color, Starch color, Spice extract
Bringing a touch of spice to your Valentine’s celebration, this crunchy cracker and peanut snack has been a popular treat in Japan for decades.