Written by By Staff Writer
Japanese foodies have rediscovered rich and creamy homemade dairy desserts, with fusion desserts a popular take on these traditional sweets — sushi ones, to be exact. So, is anyone eating Western desserts made in Japan?
In the world of high-end sushi, desserts are a booming part of the export business. According to Masahiro Asano, the head of Sushi Verde , a condiment and wine business, demand for sushi to be served with toppings is increasing — particularly at fashion week.
7 popular desserts Western chefs have made their own Japanese chefs have perfected healthy desserts to satisfy healthy-eating fans. Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images North America/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
This has led to sushi items such as satsuma rice pudding, tempura Satsuma rice pudding and the even more decadent Korean-style jorujoshi rice pudding.
For those wanting to try a western cake — with or without additions — western chef are also offering desserts adapted to be eaten on the go.
Here are six of the most popular Western desserts made in Japan:
1. Sous vide macarons
Sous vide is a modern alternative to the traditional French au jus. It produces mouthwatering cakes or other items, which are cooked to perfection in vacuum-sealed bags at high temperatures and sent to buyers right away. The result are little pastries with a warm golden color and not too much water (about 50% less than regular recipes).
Tokyo-based Soso Macaron Co. has done the foodie world proud with its sous vide macarons that are cooked to perfection in vacuum-sealed bags at high temperatures. Credit: Soso Macaron Co.
Two of the simplest recipes are made with semolina, used as a flour substitute, and powdered or powdered-sugar meringue. Cook.com’s recipe to make sous vide macarons follows the same method and results in a fascinating soft-balllike cake filled with pastry cream and coconut cream.
“Sous vide macarons are a versatile dessert that can be eaten alone or to accompany a variety of coffee and milk or fizzy drinks,” Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa, Soso’s president, told CNN.
2. Almond cream bars
There is nothing quite like the memory of vanilla chip cookies. Be it chocolates, tarts or cakes, there is a wide selection of almond cookies to choose from.
Homegrown bakers love to experiment with novel combinations, including strawberries, cream cheese and almonds. Credit: Jim Lee/Contributor/Getty Images
Japanese bakeries can turn regular almond cookies into something out of this world, but for the modern bakers, Almond Butter Cream Bars by OddMom’s Bakeshop in Tokyo’s Roppongi neighborhood have gained international attention for their innovative salted and almond filling.
This is done in the traditional way, by using almond flour, but is the first time salted egg yolks and almond butter have been used to make almond cookies. The bakers explain: “After 24 hours of being at room temperature, the milk and egg whites start to ferment, so the mixture becomes very viscous.
“As a result, the final version will consist of very smooth, nutty, creamy almond butter and a dense, rich and cake-like almond cream that you melt and taste instead of putting up and eating.”
3. Fermented blueberry rhubarb cake
Baked bread is to sponge cake what butter is to margarine — bread is delicious with cake. The same could be said for blueberry rhubarb cake — sometimes known in the UK as rhubarb meringue. But when baking dough, Japanese pastry chefs turn to batter’s best friend: yogurt.
Meringue and cream is the base of this pastry, covered with a “pillow” of yogurt to provide fluffy cushioning. We suggest you stick this one in the freezer for the perfect cold weather treat.
“To make a cold, traditional rhubarb meringue cake, it’s best to keep the mixture in the fridge,” Asano said. “Serves eight.”