As part of my fitness journey I cut sugar way down in my diet. My plan when I came to Japan was to reintroduce it slowly back into my system because I really didn’t want to deny myself the delights of the sweets in Japan. Yeah that “slowly” part? Who am I kidding. Sugar is flowing through my veins like a shinkansen, which as a matter of cooincidence, happens to be where I’m writing you from now! Let’s look at some sweets, shall we?

This was my breakfast one morning. Maybe some regrets. This thing was huge. Think pancake crossed with a croissant. Then dump a bunch of vanilla ice cream, cream, and peach sauce on it. It was at least 200 calories. I can’t even remember if I finished it at this point. I think I may have left some melted ice cream. 5 out of 10. Will not buy again.

Just fancy wrapping. Merely run of the mill rice dough wrapped around bean paste. Nothing special. 5 out of 10. Will not buy again.

Japan certainly makes these look tasty. I forgot to get a spoon so I sat in a park and awkwardly slurped at the edges of this in its plastic cup. When I felt like I could eat the peach in one bite, I managed to grab the edge of it with my teeth and spilled it into my lap. It was ok. Even with the lap flavoring. 5 of 10. Will not buy again.

This thing is the length of a loaf of bread. I have barely got a taste of it and haven’t had a chance to enjoy it the way it is meant to be enjoyed, with some green tea. It’s pretty good. I’ll give it a better review in the next sweets post. Oh yes. There will be another sweets post.

This was my second best experience in Osaka, my first being dancing with Tatsyua and his students. Matcha creme brulee and matcha brownie with matcha ice cream. It was the dessert part of a set meal I got with soup, salad, small fish dish and tea for… are you ready… $20. Won’t buy again because it’ll be a cold day in hell before I return to Osaka. I miss you matcha dessert and I think about you every day. 10/10.

This sweet was kinda cruel. I knew something was going inside but I thought it was cream, not ice cream. The sweet bread was hot so you can imagine what immediately starts happening to the ice cream. It was good but I had to go sit on a curb and eat it. I went back here to get regular melon pan without ice cream to eat the next day. This melon pan did not hold up if you weren’t eating it fresh. Also Osaka. 5/10. Won’t buy again.

Remember these? I bought more. I was so excited to see them at the grocery store that I bought all that they had left. They’re not as good as I remember them. They are sakura (cherry blossom) flavored soft mochi based sweets. Not as soft as mochi in a daifuku but also not firm. I wanted them to be firm. I ate the first one at room temperature so I thought maybe putting them in the fridge would do the trick. Not really. They help with my sakura fix but I think I’ve grown out of these. Seeking sakura fix elsewhere. Going to try to find some sakura extract to bring home so I can make my own sakura sweets. 6/10. Will not buy again.

Yes. YES! This was the experience I was wishing to replicate. Fresh made mochi sweets made by adorable Japanese people right there in front of you. One of the ladies gave me one of each of these on a lobster claw shaped toothpick but she didn’t really need to. They had me at “irasshaimase!” (It’s what Japanese people say to you when you enter their place of business and it means “Please come!”) This particular kind of mochi is called wabarimochi. The green is matcha and the brown is chocolate. They told me I had to eat it today because the shelf life isn’t very long. Got these in Takamatsu – a city I was much happier in. 8/10. Will buy again when I find it.

I’ve been forgetting my sweets protocol and blissfully devouring them without getting pics. This cruddy pic doesn’t do the “Mmmmf! Snarf!” daifuku any “Ohhhmph. So… good. Mmmmph!” justice. Got this from the same place as the previous sweet. It was a chocolate cream daifuku. Also had a matcha one. THEY WERE SO GOOD. 10/10.

Stumbled upon this place in Marugame early in the morning. Surprised to find them open. Popped in and I transformed into a seven year old girl. Ordering these was done in the same way your order sushi on a slip of paper. I had to use my translator and I understood what each flavor was for the most part. The top one is purple sweet potato with a strawberry inside, next is custard that I was told to let thaw before I ate it (spoiler alert…..), and the last one I can’t remember. I ate the two non-frozen ones in the store.

Oh man. So good. I went back to the counter and ordered 9 more as gifts for the instructors and interpreter I was about to meet. Later in the day I went back and got 3 more. THEN…

The lady was so charmed that I came back she gave me these cream puffs as a gift.

I ate, in one day, 6 daifuku and 3 cream puffs. I am really going to have to rein it in. For all daifuku and the cream puffs: 10/10. I plan to come back to Marugame eventually for the two week uchiwa class. Will probably hit this place daily.
Going to end my first sweets post here. Trust me. There will be a sweets post part deux and probably a part trois!
All my love, Furaidochikin.
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