Food
Japanese sweet store brings back ‘raindrop cake’ jellies as traditional summer dessert
Japanese traditional sweets are known just as much for their presentation as their taste, and one particularly magical looking genre of dessert are those that resemble raindrops. Mizu Shingen mochi is a type of wagashi that drew attention for resembling an edible raindrop, and became known globally as "raindrop jellies" and… Read
Need a berry twist on your breakfast? Japan’s new strawberry sugar uses some of the tastiest in the country
While there's no denying the appeal of a hearty breakfast, a serving of sweets in the morning can sometimes be the most delicious way to start the day off. Now breakfast lovers with a sweet tooth have a great way of adding the flavor of some of the most prized… Read
7-Eleven’s delicious egg roll sandwiches deliver the most value for your yen
As some grape Japan readers may recall, we recently considered what makes Japanese convenience store egg sandwiches so exceptional using the example of FamilyMart's recently updated version. We came to the conclusion that it's all about simple and high-quality ingredients, high-quality eggs, mayonnaise, and simple seasonings, done very well, and perfectly balanced,… Read
Historic Kyoto teahouse’s hydrangea-inspired matcha parfaits return for rainy season
Itohkyuemon is a Japanese tea specialist store based in Uji, an area of Kyoto famous for producing top quality green tea. It was founded in 1832, and these days there’s a few branches of Itohkyuemon dotted around Kyoto for tea lovers to visit, and if you’re a fan of matcha… Read
Making a Caesar cocktail in Japan
As some of you may know, I am Canadian. Although I’ve lived in Japan for nearly half my life, I’ve missed a lot of traditionally, some might say stereotypically, Canadian things. The one thing you can reliably find and make at home if you search the shelves of your nearest… Read
Lifehack for keeping pork tender in chilled shabu shabu goes viral
As Japanese food lovers surely know, nabemono stews and other hot dishes may be wonderful in winter, but the hot summer months are the best time for cold dishes. A relatively recent creation in the repertoire of summer favorites in Japan is a dish featuring slices of thinly sliced pork loin that… Read
Melonpan has become a bite-sized chocolate
Some of our more dedicated grape Japan readers may be familiar with Japanese bread and baked goods such as アンパン anpan (sweet red bean paste bread), 食パン shokupan (Japanese milk bread typically used for sandwiches), and 焼きそばパン yakisobapan (stir-fried noodles bread). However, you can't talk about Japanese baked goods without mentioning メロンパン melonpan, a favorite among tourists… Read
Makers of Azuki Bar report record profits in 2021
Imuraya Group has reported its financial results for the previous fiscal year and announced a record-high income of 1.4 billion yen. Not only was it the highest in the company’s 75-year history, but impressively over twice as much as the previous year. The company name might not be instantly recognizable,… Read
Meet the Japanese Colonel Sanders, who’s passionate about fried chicken
In Japan, a country that loves its characters and mascots, KFC’s Colonel Sanders has become something of an icon. The white-haired, white-suited, white-bearded founder of the fast food chicken chain can be found outside pretty much every branch here, and he even gets dressed up for the holidays and special occasions. So… Read
How to preserve a cake? Reverse thinking proves genius lifehack
There's nothing quite like the anticipation of waiting to bust open a newly bought cake for a celebration, but storing them in wait can sometimes make for an unexpected minor pain. In particular, it can be rather bothersome to store a cake in the fridge and having the box it… Read
