More Japanese Food, Look and Texture

I forgot in that previous post about food to refer to Japanese pastries at large, besides the Summer refreshing red beans jelly called Mizu-yôkan.

On this picture are examples of pastries and a rice cracker Sembeï just bought from a shop close by. The Japanese pastries I know are all a variation around sweeten beans purées and cooked beaten glutinous rice. Of course, for a European palate, the lack of cream, butter, crust or spongy cake, the lack of fruits, vanilla, citrus extracts, decorative jelly, the lack of chocolate, coffee, hazelnuts, and liquors make Japanese pastries a different world. A world where variety of looks is more important than that of taste. Texture too matters although on a subtle level of variation. This is a soft world compared to the rice cracker on the left that is dry, hard, crispy and salty. Good pastries are not too sweet. Good Sembeï are not too salty. The Sembeï reads Ganko-yaki. Ganko stands for stubborn. I love the taste of it and the name as well.

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