Fish-shaped Cake with YUCa’s Tea Green Tea
Taiyaki(Fish-shaped cake) is a traditional Japanese sweet that was born in 1909. Its origin traces back to Seijirō Kobe, who moved from Osaka to Tokyo to start a business. He was troubled by the poor sales of his imagawayaki (a type of filled pancake) and, after much trial and error, he decided to shape it like a “tai” (a sea bream), a symbol of celebration and good fortune, which became an instant success. From there, it became widely known as “taiyaki.” The feature of taiyaki is that it is eaten by taking a big bite starting from the head, which is filled with a generous amount of sweet red bean paste, and its charming appearance is also one of its attractions.
The slightly sweet red bean paste is wrapped in a thin, crisp, and beautifully browned skin. It pairs perfectly with YUCa’s Tea Green Tea, which has a mild bitterness and rich depth of flavor.
In Tokyo, the most famous taiyaki shops are Naniwaya Sohonten (Azabu-Juban), Yanagiya (Ningyocho), and Wakaba (Yotsuya), and they are often referred to as the “Three Great Taiyaki Shops.” Recently, besides the traditional red bean paste, taiyaki comes with various fillings such as cream, offering a wide range of choices to enjoy.
