[GOURMET] Sweets

  Starting today, we’re going to write features on a series of popular themes. The first theme is gourmet food, starting with Kobe sweets.

  Kobe is the birthplace of Japan’s western sweets. This makes Kobe sweets famous throughout Japan, and it has many of the country’s most famous stores, cafés, and restaurants that serve delicious sweets.

  Western-style sweets in Japan are known for their cute displays, but Kobe sweets are made with extra attention given to looks and presentation. The stores are known to be very chic as well. But of course, the taste of these artworks is also amazing.

 

They all look so delicious!! 

 
Many foreigners settled in Kobe back in the day, so many western influences still remain throughout the city. This makes stylish cafes a perfect fit for the city’s atmosphere. One can spend a whole day trying out different cafes.

Although they are called cafes, many of them offer lunch menus, become a bar at night, or sell a variety of goods, like normal stores.

  On your visit, you might find the perfect café for you to enjoy delicious Kobe sweets and spend a relaxing afternoon.

 

Café in Motomachi, Kobe

Kobe Sweets

http://feel-kobe.jp/_en/gourmet/result.php?gid=56 (English)

Kobe Cafes

http://feel-kobe.jp/_en/gourmet/result.php?gid=51 (English)

  Besides Kobe, Hyogo prefecture has many famous sweets using popular ingredients from the area. Tamba chestnuts from the Tamba region are famous nation wide, so roll cakes using Tamba chestnuts are very popular. Other examples include saka-manju (a bun with red-bean paste filling) from the Hanshin region using their famous Japanese sake, and Shiomi (Salt flavor)-manju from Harima, using their salt from the town of Ako. Hyogo also has traditional Japanese sweets as well, so come and try the flavors you can only find in Hyogo.

    

                         Tamba Chestnut Roll Cake                        Saka-Manju                            

Shiomi-Manju 

       

  Next in our gourmet series is Akashi-yaki vs. Takoyaki. Takoyaki is one of the most popular foods from Osaka, and Akashi-yaki is famous in Akashi. They look alike, so what’s the difference?

Check back on our next post to find out!

Hana (Hyogo Tourism Association)