Desserts and Candy Tour @ Kamakura Candy Trail

Although not necessarily Japan's answer to Willy Wonka's factory, the great ancient city of Kamakura has a great selection of sweet treats in store. And I am not talking about novelty Kit Kats and panda cookies, although the novelty Kit Kats will have a post on it soon. Just have a look around, peek through, and you would probably get some great sweet delights on tow.

Each nation with a strong food culture has a vast array of desserts and sweets. Japan is no exception. Known as "wagashi" (和菓子), Japanese traditional confectioneries comes in different shapes and sizes. Each prefecture has its own take on things and looking deep into wagashi is a culinary task on its own. From simple street treats to complicated ornaments with a sencha taster, wagashi is something that is deeply ingrained into Japanese food culture. And while in Kamakura, I took this opportunity to sample some delicious items that were sold.

1. Traditional candy from Hokokuji Temple (報国寺)  .

One of the scenic courtyards of the temple

We start this trail off with a bang. One of more important temples in Kamakura, Hokokuji is a sight to behold. Famous for its bamboo gardens, the temple is a scenic and serene spot for some tea and down time. The entrance fee is ¥500 and for an extra ¥200, you are given a matcha tea set with some home made sweets. You will be given a coupon when you opt for the tea set, which you can redeem from the tea house inside.

That gentle reminder. At least I know where I am heading

The temple's majestic bamboo garden is the perfect backdrop for a tea house and you can claim your tea set there. The bowl of matcha is intense and creamy, with an invigorating edge. It tasted clean yet full bodied and a bit bitter. This is where the wagashi comes in. A good foil for it were the candy tablets, which came with the tea. With bamboo carvings in it, it was too pretty to eat. But bit into them anyway.

Hard at work. Tea staff doing what they do best.

It crumbles with ease as you bite into it and the sweetness was something like biting though a sugar cane stick. It was a simple confectionery, as it was meant to be. Anything that is too complicated-tasting may cause a cross-effect of flavours, especially with something as delicate as matcha, its not something you would like to mess around with.

A great delight. Note the size difference. 

2. Steamed Adzuki Buns from Matsukazedo (松風堂)
This was our second stop.

Simple but amazing

Commonly known as Tou Sar Pau for most Chinese people, this take on the steamed bun was exceptional. The bun was sweetened with brown sugar and gave it a sweetness that is flavourful. There was a deep caramel flavour in the dough  of the bun and the fluffy texture was great. The bean paste itself was not sweet,thus counter-acting with the brown sugar. A delicate balance done well. There was also the sake flavour on sale as well. However, I did not feel like having anything boozy so early in the day so I opted out of it.

Front of the house

A closer look at the counter. Note the ¥110 price tag. 

And each piece being just ¥110, it was a great bargain. If you would like to sample such an amazing morsel, Matsukazedo is located near the main train station and the specific location is as below.

3. Adzuki daifuku (大福餅)
Closely nearby is a stall that sells another staple, which is also filled with adzuki bean paste. The daifuku is a variation of the mochi. Turned into a bean paste dumpling, this is a staple wagashi served in upmarket green tea houses and upper class restaurants. Known to be tedious to make and a great combination of textures, the ¥135 tag per dumpling is another steal.

Front of the stall

On display were a variety of tasty treats, just waiting to be eaten. I took the classic bean flavour, although various traditional flavours like sesame and green tea are sold. There are also more modern takes like mango, custard, and chocolate. But do what the Romans do right?

A great selection. I picked the one at the very bottom, third from the left.

The outer layer is chewy and slightly elastic. Its a bit bland, but that it is to be expected as the main focus is the filling. But boring it is not, as the mochi layer outside is riddled with cooked whole adzuki beans, giving it a variation of texture.

Satisfaction in every bite

Unlike the bean bun earlier, the adzuki here is definitely more intense and creamy. A sweet finish to any meal and also another staple in tea houses.This place is such an obscure find even with hours of research, I was unable to get the name of the shop. Despite that, here is a screen shot from Google Maps if you would like to try it out.

4. Sesame dango (ごま団子)
Although the adzuki daifuku may be a good end to a candy trail, I felt that I still had space for one more. So after strolling around the area, not far away from the Giant Bronze Buddha, stood a stall that sold dango.

Dango on tow. 

Simply put, its mochi on a stick and the stick is glazed with various sauces to give it more character. I opted for the black sesame one.It has a unique texture, and was very chewy. Flavour wise, it was savoury and sweet at the same time. It has a flavour profile similar to the filling of a heong peng, for those Malaysians who do know what it is. And it is just ¥100 per stick. This is definitely not high on the avant-garde totem pole like daikufu or the bun, but it was good nonetheless and was thoroughly enjoyable.

Sweet and salty. Might be an odd contrast for some.
Still good to me though

And like the daifuku stall, I was unable to find the name and exact address of this place. Nevertheless, if you would like to try this place do have a look see in the Google Map's screen shot below.

Note the red circle. 

Overall, it was a successful food hunt. If you are planning to visit Kamakura, do let your adventurous side go wild a little. You might just be able to find some hidden treasure like I have. And sometimes, it is such surprises that make travelling so much fun. You can just get lost in the culture of where you were at, and give you a sense of appreciation that you may not feel if you just follow the normal tourist crowd.