Desserts in Japan

A traditional style dessert with maple leaves to suggest autumn and served in autumn colours.
 

Most commonly in Japan fresh fruit, beautifully but simply presented, is served as a dessert in Japan. Fresh fruit is served in  a similar manner to the dessert pictured above. Seasonal touches from nature are often present, as with the maple leaves here, and the colour and style of dishes change to match the changing seasons. In this way the Japanese enjoy each season as it passes. The fruits that I remember having for dessert were pale green coloured musk melons, Japanese nashi (pears), grapes and kaki (persimmon). 

A tea ceremony  "cake" served on a pottery serving dish

There is a whole range of sweet food in Japan, but it is usually eaten as a snack through the day, perhaps for afternoon tea, on a special occasion or as part of the tea ceremony. However, having a dessert after the evening meal is becoming more widespread in Japan. Many of the very traditional desserts in Japan feature ingredients not available or familiar to Australians, things like sweet red bean paste and jelly-like youkan based sweets.

Traditionally the Japanese did not have ovens and did not bake, so there is no long tradition of baked desserts or puddings. Dairy foods have only been a part of the Japanese diet for just over 100 years. Nowadays baked or steamed custards such as crème caramel are popular. There are many Japanese cake shops these days, and a visit to the food hall of a major department store is a must see in Japan.

a window display at a café in Tokyo

Green tea ice cream is popular in Japan as are a variety of other familiar flavours and some unusual ones such as wasabi ice cream. Fancy looking parfaits and sundaes made from fruit and ice cream feature in menus at restaurants and cafes. Japanese people are fond of jelly (as in jello to any readers from the States, not what you spread on bread) as a dessert. See my next 2 blog posts for recipes.

 

Icecream in Tokyo, flavours include tomato, fig, apple ginger and blueberry milk