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Matcha Dorayaki is a version of the popular Japanese sweet Dorayaki with Anko sweet red bean paste sandwiched between fluffy matcha-flavored pancakes. The harmony of sweetness of the red beans and the slight bitterness from Matcha works very well. If you like Matcha flavor, you have to try it! You can make homemade Anko yourself from our library. Or you may opt to buy prepared Anko from Japanese markets, which is fine too. Because the pancakes contain more sugar than regular American pancakes, cook a small number at a time to be able to handle better without burning them. Have Matcha Dorayaki at a calming teatime for one, or share this delicious dessert with friends and family. Hope you like it!

Warabimochi (Warabi Mochi, わらび餅) is a traditional Japanese dessert (wagashi) made from warabiko, a starch extracted from warabi (bracken) roots. The pure 100% warabi starch is rare today, but you can buy warabiko mixed with various kinds of starch such as sweet potato flour, usually sold as Warabimochiko (Warabi Mochi Ko).

We added more water and a bit more sugar than our original Warabi Mochi recipe and made it softer and sweeter. In addition to kinako (soybean flour) topping, kuromitsu (black sugar syrup) is poured on top. Served with green tea, it’s a fantastic dessert or a snack in the afternoon.

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.

Shiro An is sweet white bean paste, and it is a crucial ingredient for Japanese traditional confectioneries, just like Anko sweet red bean paste.  Shiro An is made from white kidney beans and sugar. It’s used in a lot of different forms of desserts in Japan, from fresh Mochi desserts such as Fruit Daifuku to baked Manju so it is a great recipe to know if you like making Japanese sweets.