Considered Japan’s cultural capital, Kyoto is the place in Japan where Japanese history and tradition are most alive, particularly during the time of the moon viewing festivities.
This month we want to share Kyoto’s many delights with you, both culinary and cultural. Enjoy traditional confectioneries, snacks and tea in the Tsukimi moonlight.
Gion Tsujiri (Kyoto)
Common Allergens: N/A
May Contain Traces Of: N/A
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Green tea
Gently roasted from the inside through a sand oven, this houjicha has a strong aroma but light flavor. Pairing well with both sweet and savory snacks, it is the perfect palate cleanser.
Shogoin Yatsuhashi (Kyoto)
Common Allergens: Soy
May Contain Traces Of: N/A
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Sugar (manufactured in Japan), rice flour, cinnamon powder, soybean flour
Unchanged since its conception 330 years ago, this traditional confectionery is made using only rice flour, sugar and nikki, Japanese cinnamon. Baked into the shape of a Japanese zither called koto, it is dedicated to famous composer Yatsuhashi Kengyo.
Iwatsuka Confectionery (Niigata)
Common Allergens: Wheat, Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Eggs, Dairy, Peanuts, Shrimp, Crab
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Rice (domestic production), vegetable oil and fat, kinako (soybean flour), glucose, sugar (50% wasanbon sugar), starch, salt, powdered soy sauce, cinnamon/plant lecithin, seasoning (amino acid), caramel color
Arare, despite its crunchy rather than chewy texture, is also a type of mochi. This one is sprinkled with kinako soybean flour and wasanbon, an extremely fine-grained Japanese sugar.
Amesho Sawahara (Kyoto)
Common Allergens: Sesame
May Contain Traces Of: Dairy
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Sugar (manufactured in Japan), syrup, brown sugar, green tea, dried plum powder, shiso, ginger, sesame/acidifier, flavoring, fruit color
Handmade by a Kyoto craftsman exclusively for Sakuraco, these traditional hard candies come in six classic Japanese flavors: Brown sugar, Japanese mint, matcha, shiso, ginger and plum. Their special finish and deep flavor are testimony to the craftsmanship behind them
Matsuoka Confectionery (Osaka)
Common Allergens: Wheat, Soy
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Wheat flour (manufactured in Japan), soy sauce, sugar, salt / seasoning (amino acid)
With its 100th birthday rapidly approaching, this rich, soy sauce flavored senbei has been a favorite of young and old for a while. With its round shape reminiscent of the full moon, the auspicious rabbit was chosen for its cute retro packaging.
Dibajon (Kanagawa)
Dishwasher Safe: No
Kyoto’s Yasaka pagoda is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. Towering over the picturesque wooden houses of the Higashiyama district, it offers the perfect foreground for the tsukimi festival. Working with a local ceramist, we decided to bring this tsukimi feeling to you with this exclusive plate.
Shimura Kaseido (Saitama)
Common Allergens: Dairy, Wheat, Gelatin
May Contain Traces Of: Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Cashews
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Ingredients:
Wheat flour (manufactured in Japan), sugar, starch, shortening, glucose, lactose-based foods, salt, gelatin/expanding agent, coloring (paprika color, caramel, gardenia, beet red), thickening agent (processed starch), flavoring
These classic sugar-glazed cookies in the shape of animals and auspicious symbols are bound to unleash nostalgia in anyone biting into them. With their satisfying crunch followed by a light sweetness they are perfect for spicing up a cup of tea.
Morihaku Confectionery (Gifu)
Common Allergens: Dairy, Soy
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Milk (manufactured in Japan), sugar, hojicha, agar agar/gelator (processed starch, polysaccharide thickener), pH adjuster, emulsifier, flavor
Confectionery experts Morihaku collaborated with us for another Sakuraco tsukimi exclusive. Mixing traditional and modern, this pudding combines the rich aroma of Kyoto houjicha with a gentle sweetness.
Gion Tsujiri (Kyoto)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Dairy, Soy
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Sugar (domestic and foreign production), liquid egg, rice flour (domestic), shortening, starch, matcha, vegetable oil and fat, whole milk powder, honey, lactose, dextrin/expanding agent, emulsifier, flavor, antioxidant (vitamin E)
Japan’s most famous matcha is grown in the city of Uji in Kyoto prefecture. Gion Tsujiri began growing their prized matcha here in 1860, with their time-consuming method of stone-grinding unchanged since then. This Sakuraco exclusive sandwiches rich Uji matcha cream between two crisp wafers branded with a tsukimi theme.
Taniguchi (Kyoto)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Wheat, Buckwheat
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Wheat flour (produced in Japan), sugar, eggs, buckwheat flour / inflating agent
Boro is the Portuguese word for cake and gives a hint to the origin of this buckwheat treat. One of Japan’s very first ‘Western style Japanese sweets’, boro are light cookies with a biscotti-like texture perfect for an afternoon tea snack. Boro made with buckwheat like these are a Kyoto specialty and a popular souvenir.
Mametomi Honpo (Kyoto)
Wasabi Pistachio Komamehan
Common Allergens: Dairy, Wheat
May Contain Traces Of: Eggs, Dairy, Buckwheat, Peanuts, Sesame, Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews, Soy, Peaches, Shrimp, Squid, Mackerel, Pork, Gelatin
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Pistachios (product of Iran), cold plum flour (rice flour, starch), sugar, wheat flour, vegetable oil, horseradish seasoning, margarine, starch, salt, horseradish/expanding agent, flavor, color (yellow 4, blue 1, carotinoid)
Soy Sauce Cashew Komamehan
Common Allergens: Wheat, Cashews, Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Eggs, Dairy, Buckwheat, Peanuts, Sesame, Almonds, Walnuts, Peaches, Shrimp, Squid, Mackerel, Pork, Gelatin
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Cashew nuts (from Vietnam), kanbai flour (rice flour, starch), wheat flour, sugar, processed soy sauce (soy sauce, sugar), vegetable oil, salt / processed starch, expander, acidifier (amino acid, etc.), color (caramel), sweetener (candlenut)
Creating traditional bean focused confectioneries since 1908, Mametomi Honpo recently introduced a new line of nut snacks with cute maiko designs called Komamehan.
The soy sauce covered cashews are perfect for a light afternoon snack with tea. For those who enjoy a spicy snack, try the wasabi covered pistachios
Seki Confectionery (Kyoto)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Dairy, Wheat, Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Buckwheat, Peanuts
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Flour (made in Japan), sugar, liquid egg, shortening, powdered sugar (sugar, cornstarch), maltose, matcha, skimmed milk powder, margarine, honey, vegetable oil and fat/expanding agent, lecithin, antioxidant (vitamin E)
In business since 1918, Seki Confectionery are specialists in manufacturing senbei rice crackers. Inspired by gaufrette wafers, they use their crisp senbei to sandwich Uji matcha cream.
Tokyo Bread (Toyama)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Dairy, Wheat, Soy, Apples
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Wheat flour, sweet potato bean paste (sweet potato, sugar, white kidney bean), sugar, eggs, shortening, baker's yeast, whey powder, margarine, isomerized liquid sugar, germinated brown rice baker's yeast seeds, salt/emulsifier, flavor, color (carotene)
Japan’s satsumaimo sweet potato has a notably sweeter taste compared to its Western counterparts. Taste its rich flavor with this fluffy bread.
Suzuya Ginkakuji (Kyoto)
Common Allergens: Eggs, Wheat
May Contain Traces Of: Dairy, Soy
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
White bean paste (made in Japan) (hand-ground soybeans, sugar, salt), wheat flour, sugar, eggs, yuzu paste, syrup, mirin, honey, edible vegetable oil and fat/expanding agent, maltitol, thickener (agar)
Highly particular about sourcing only the finest local ingredients, Kyoto-based Suzuya are focusing on only the highest quality dorayaki. Combining pastry made with Mie Prefecture grown wheat with refreshing Yuzu grown in Ehime Prefecture, they certainly succeeded with this one.
Morihaku Confectionery (Gifu)
Common Allergens: Soy
May Contain Traces Of: Eggs, Dairy, Wheat, Peanuts, Almonds, Sesame, Apples, Shrimp, Crab, Squid, Beef, Salmon, Chicken, Pork, Gelatin
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Ingredients:
Glutinous rice (domestic production), vegetable oil and fat, black soybeans, salt, soybean flour, yeast extract powder
Tanba black soybeans are a specialty grown in the Kyoto area. They are a popular ingredient for traditional Japanese desserts. Discover them with this crunchy arare.