Delicious Japanese Summer Desserts

Summer in Japan is full of excitement: it is a season of fireworks and festivals all around the country.  Almost every night, firework displays color the evening skies. Around Tokyo, there are also several summer purification rites to participate in. Summer in Japan can also bring on the heat. Here are some delicious Japanese summer desserts to enjoy and cool off.

Uirō  – a traditional Japanese streamed cake  made from rice flour and sugar. It is similar to mocha in texture. Popular flavors include strawberry, matcha (green tea), chestnut, and yuzu (a citrus indigenous to East Asia).

Uirō. | 小太刀

Kuzumochi –  these are mocha cakes made from kuzuko (a starch powder made from the root of the kudzu plant).  The refreshing dessert is usually served cold, topped with a sugar syrup known as kuromitsu or “black honey.”

Kuzumochi. | 663highland

Anmitsu – it’s made from small cubes of agar jelly made from red algae. The jelly is usually made with fruit juice. Anmitsu is served with sweet azuki bean paste, boiled peas, and a variety of seasonal fruits.

Kakigōri  – a Japanese type of shaved ice dessert, kakigōri differs from a snow cone because it is flavored with syrup and condensed milk. The ice in kakigōri is fluffier and smoother, much like newly-fallen snow, and is best enjoyed eaten with a spoon rather than directly from the paper cone.

 

Kakigōri.

Chirin-chirin – this ice cream is similar to sorbet: light and refreshing, perfect for summer. Its name is an imitative word named after the sound of the brass bell ice cream vendors use to attract customers. Chirin-chirin comes in various flavors, but vanilla is the most popular. What makes it so special is its rose petal shape.

Mochi ice cream – this delectable dessert is about the size and shape of a golf ball. It has a mochi outer layer and an ice cream inner layer. Flavors vary from vanilla to matcha (ground green tea.)

Mochi ice cream balls.

All these desserts are a refreshing break from the summer heat and can be enjoyed not just during hot days, but all year round!