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.
Wakaayu literally means young sweetfish which is a fresh water fish delicacy in early summer. Ayu is a small fish typically grilled salted, skewered and grilled in open fire. They live in clean rivers and are found in Kyoto where there are many rivers running throughout the prefecture. As well as the grilled sweetfish, Wakaayu sweet cake is big in Kyoto at Japanese Wagashi shops.
We got Wakaayu from one of the most famous Japanese Wagashi sweet shops in Kyoto, Eirakuya.(永楽屋) They have been in business nearly 80 years in the center of Kyoto. At their shops, they have all-year-rounders like beautiful Kohakuto (jelly candies) and Dorayaki, but also many seasonal sweets that show up with each new season. Interestingly, they also sell Tsukudani, savory cooked Kombu (sea kelp) items at the store. While not sweet, they’re also delicious and perfect for gifts. Eirakuya’s Wakaayu is so tender and yummy, it’s hard to stop with just one. Enjoy as much as possible while they last, because you won’t see them until next year once the summer is over. For people who can’t visit Eirakuya right now, we have a recipe for Wakaayu that can easily be made at home to recreate a bit of Kyoto in summer. It may not be exactly the same as Eirakuya’s, but we hope you give it a try and taste our version of this traditional Japanese confection.
Wakaayu
*Links may contain ad. #CommissionsEarned
Equipment
- plastic wrap
- metal skewers
Ingredients
Mochi Filling
- 50 g Mochiko
- 50 g sugar
- 80 ml water
- 1/4 cup Katakuriko potato starch or corn starch
Cake
- 80 g flour all purpose or cake flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, mix mochiko, sugar, and water. Cover and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir with a spoon or rubber spatula. Cover and microwave again for another 1 1/2 minutes. Stir.
- Transfer the mochi to a sheet pan liberally dusted with katakuriko or cornstarch. Spread it to 4"x3" rectangle and let cool. Cut the mochi into 3"x1/2" strips. (8 strips)
- In a small bowl, whisk flour and baking soda. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and honey. Add 1/2 water and mix. Add the flour mixture and mix. Add the rest of the water little by little until the consistency is similar to pancake batter.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan at low heat, and pour 1 to 2 Tbsp of batter into the pan to make a 4"x3" oval. Cook about 2 minutes or until bubbles rise to surface. Flip and cook the other side for 30 seconds.
- On a piece of plastic wrap, place the cake top side down and place a mochi strip in the middle. Fold in half with the plastic and pinch one end to make a tail. Tightly wrap with the plastic and let cool.
- Remove the plastic. Heat one end of metal skewers on the gas stove and press on the cake to make eye and fins (follow the video.)
