Japan’s northernmost and biggest prefecture is noticeably different from the rest of the country, in scenery, culture and food.
This month we want to bring you a taste of all Hokkaido has to offer, with an assortment of fresh dairy sweets, traditional azuki bean paste treats and specialties like corn and melon. Join us for some northern flavors.
Tanaka Hashiten (Fukui)
Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Japan’s four distinct seasons are crucial to its culture. Besides festivals and rituals, their passing is also marked by seasonal flowers, like on this lacquered soup bowl.
Hagiri (Shizuoka)
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients: Tea (Shizuoka Prefecture), brown rice (Hokkaido)
Collaborating with Shizuoka-based tea maker Hagiri, we created this limited edition genmaicha. Pairing green tea with roasted brown rice from Hokkaido, this tea has a warm, nutty flavor. Pairing well with any kind of sweets or snacks, this blend is easy to drink and refreshing.
Brewing the tea in boiling water will bring out its full flavor, but we recommend using water heated to roughly 80-85℃. Steep for 3-5 minutes.
Panex (Gifu)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Dairy, Wheat, Soy
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients: Wheat flour (manufactured in Japan), flour paste, margarine, sugar preparation, liquid whole egg, dextrose, panettone, top white sugar, baker's yeast, processed oil and fat foods, salt, milk, malt extract/processed starch, emulsifier, polysaccharide thickener, flavoring, pH adjuster, flavoring, pH adjuster
Slightly sweet Hokkaido milk meets moist and fluffy pastry in this milk danish. Using a special type of Japanese yeast, it has a long shelf life without artificial preservatives.
Morihaku Confectionary (Gifu)
May Contain Traces Of: Dairy, Eggs, Wheat, Almonds, Oranges, Sesame, Soy, Apples, Peaches, Gelatin
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients: Sugar, fructose glucose liquid sugar, melon puree/gelator (polysaccharide thickener), pH adjuster, flavor, color (red radish, carotene)
Hokkaido melons fetch some of the highest prices in the world. Enjoy their refreshing taste with this luxurious jelly packed with flavor.
Hidano (Nagano)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Dairy, Wheat, Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Buckwheat
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients: Flour (manufactured in Japan), margarine (edible vegetable oils and fats, edible refined processed oils and fats), sugar, eggs, cheese (natural cheese, lactose, skimmed milk powder, vegetable oils and fats, salt), skimmed milk powder/expanding agent, flavor, emulsifier, seasoning (amino acid), antioxidant (vitamin E), color (carotene)
Delicious cookies with a mild cheese flavor. Their crisp texture and sweetness goes well with a cup of tea.
Hokkaido is famous for combining bake and no-bake cheesecake, get a taste of it with these cookies.
Mikuro Confectionery (Saitama)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Dairy, Wheat
May Contain Traces Of: Peanuts, Almonds, Cashews, Orange, Sesame, Soy, Bananas, Peaches, Apples
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients: Flour (manufactured in Japan), sugar, eggs, glucose, honey, isomaltooligosaccharide syrup, milk/emulsifier, leavening agent, flavorings
Originally introduced by the Portuguese, castella is now a national favorite. These bite-sized mini cakes come in a cute bell shape and perfectly balance moist sponge cake with crunchy sprinkled sugar.
Daiya Confectionery X North Cleer (Hokkaido)
Common Allergens: Dairy, Wheat, Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Shrimp, Eggs, Peanuts, Squid, Oranges, Cashews, Sesame, Chicken, Pork, Apples, Almonds
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients: Chocolate (manufactured in Japan) (sugar, cocoa butter, lactose, whole milk powder, vegetable oil and fat, skimmed milk powder), corn, wheat flour, starch, salt / gardenia color, emulsifier, flavoring
One of the most popular snacks to bring back from a trip to Hokkaido. These chocolates combine two of the prefecture’s specialties, sweetcorn and dairy. Crispy corn puffs meet sweet white chocolate.
Hokka Confectionery (Ishikawa)
Common Allergens: Dairy, Wheat
May Contain Traces Of: Eggs
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients: Wheat flour (produced in Japan), sugar, shortening, milk, salt, yeast extract/expanding agent, flavorings
Using Hokkaido grown wheat, these biscuits are pure nostalgia. Hailing from Japan’s era of modernization, they still contain zero additives. Kneaded and baked slowly to bring out the full aroma, they are popular with young and old.
Eguchi Confectionery (Fukuoka)
May Contain Traces Of: Dairy
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients: Granulated sugar (made in Thailand), azuki beans (from Hokkaido), powdered maltitol, syrup, skin (glutinous rice), agar agar
Sweet azuki beans are yet another specialty Hokkaido has to offer. Encased in crispy rice wafers, this traditional treat is perfect with a cup of tea.
Hiyoshi Confectionery (Shimane)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Wheat
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients: Sugar (made in Japan), azuki beans (from Hokkaido), wheat flour, eggs, honey, mirin/expanding agent
Dorayaki is a well loved traditional treat, and with sweet Hokkaido red bean paste sandwiched between sponge cake it's not hard to see why.
Morihaku Confectionery (Gifu)
Common Allergens: Dairy
May Contain Traces Of: Eggs, Wheat, Almonds, Oranges, Sesame, Soy, Apples, Peaches, Gelatin
Ingredients: Fructose glucose liquid sugar (manufactured in Japan), dairy lactic acid beverage (sterilized), sugar, mandarin oranges in syrup / gelling agent (polysaccharide thickener, CMC), pH adjuster, stabilizer (pectin), flavor, acidifier, emulsifier
This refreshing jelly perfectly combines fresh yogurt with mandarin pulp. Ideal for cooling down on a hot summer day.
Hananoya (Fukui)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Dairy, Wheat, Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Peanuts, Buckwheat
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients: Chocolate cream (made in Japan (sugar, maltose, vegetable oil and fat, chicken eggs, whole milk powder, cacao mass, others), eggs, wheat flour, sugar, seasoned flour, rice flour, reduced syrup, vegetable oil and fat, honey / sorbitol, trehalose, processed starch, expander, emulsifier, flavor, polysaccharide thickener, acidifier
Combining classic Japanese dorayaki with a Western style filling like chocolate works extremely well. Perfect for dessert or afternoon tea.
Sanshu Confectionery (Saitama)
Common Allergens: Wheat, Shrimp, Squid, Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Eggs, Dairy
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Ingredients: Rice cracker dough (rice (domestic product), starch, shrimp, squid powder (including soybeans), shrimp powder), vegetable oil, liquid seasoning (amino acid solution (including wheat), syrup, salt, glucose), fermentation seasoning, shrimp extract, starch, yeast extract/seasoning (amino acid, etc.), red dye
Shrimp rice crackers like this senbei are hugely popular for a celebration in Japan. Packed full of flavor, they’re perfect for a light snack.
Morihaku Confectionery (Gifu)
Common Allergens: Dairy, Wheat, Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Eggs, Shrimp, Crab, Peanuts, Almond, Squid, Beef, Sesame, Salmon, Chicken, Pork, Apples, Gelatin
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients: Glutinous rice (domestically produced), vegetable oil and fat, corn flavoring, sweet corn powder, soy sauce powder, salt, yeast extract powder/seasoning (amino acid, etc.), flavor, processed starch, color (caramel), spice extract, acidifier
This arare made with Hokkaido grown corn is ideal to balance out a cup of tea for an afternoon break.
We decided to embrace the mystery this month.
Ingredients and allergen information available at sakura.co/blog/sakuraco-mystery-item-june-2022
What will luck bring you?