In our mini-series of Japanese Cooking 101 in Kyoto, we are going to different stores from traditional to trendy, and show you a glimpse of the culinary scene of Kyoto in 2023. After we tasted delicious food at stores, we tried to recreate those dishes, not exactly but more in our own way, at home in Kyoto. We hope you enjoy our Japanese Cooking 101 food in a little different setting from our regular videos.
Our first episode is Wakaayu. Wakaayu (Waka-ayu, 若鮎) is a seasonal “Japanese confection” (Wagashi, 和菓子）that is available at many sweet shops during summer. Wakaayu in Japanese cakes is made from Sweet Mochi wrapped with a thin pancake, like Dorayaki, formed in the shape of a sweetfish, called Ayu. It is chewy and sweet, but not overly sweet, and it’s a wonderful reminder of the beginning of the new season.