Now that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, are you someone who’s planning to finally pop up the question to make it official? Or that someone who just wants to express your love to that person who always does their best every day?
If there’s a particular place that is known for giving gifts in terms of showing affection, it’s none other than Japan.
Well, good news! Japan External Trade Organization is currently hosting Nukumori Valentine’s Fair at the Mitsukoshi Mall BGC Events Space until February 14.
Nukumori, which means “warmth” in Japanese, aims to celebrate love in all its forms and highlight the gentle warmth of the Japanese people, and how it radiates to others.
The fair will highlight some of the best creations from the Land of the Rising Sun. And to help you out in curating what to get, here are some of the sweet treats we suggest that you should try.
Baumkuchen of Sanporoku
Hokkaido comes the famous Baumkuchen of Sanporoku, which uses locally grown ingredients like sugar, Tokachi flour, eggs, and butter. Sanporoku has been making their signature chocolate-covered Baumkuchen since 1947 and it has been hailed as the “number one popular representative confectionery” in Japan. It comes in three variants: plain (covered in milk chocolate or white chocolate), maple, and portion-sized Sanporoku small-cut Baumkuchen.
Hakata Amaou Marugoto Strawberry Daifuku
The Amaou Strawberry from Fukuoka Prefecture has been named the ‘king’ of strawberries in Japan. Plump, juicy, and oh-so-sweet, these strawberries are the star of Hakata Amaou Marugoto Strawberry Daifuku. The daifuku either had Koshian (black bean paste) or Shiroan (white bean paste).
Butter Cream Sand Cookie by Ryugetsu
Another famous Hokkaido sweet treat is the Butter Cream Sand Cookie by Ryugetsu, which is a “marriage of red bean paste and butter”. The an-butter cream is made with Hokkaido-sourced ingredients and sandwiched between two Okhotsk salt-flavored sable cookies. The butter is slightly fermented to give it a unique flavor.
Shinkinedo Roll Cake
Shinkinedo’s roll cake is also a must. If you’re into fluffy cakes, the fair also features roll cakes that come in plain (filled with soft cream), Amaou Strawberry (grown from their own farm), and the cream-filled Rainbow Roll that is as delicious as it is eye-catching; and the deliciously fun Roll Cake Tower comprised of mini roll cakes that one can stack on top of each other to build a tower of desserts, which comes in nine variants: Plain, Black Tea, Strawberry, Mango, Chocolate, Black Sesame, Marron (chestnuts in French), Green Tea, and Raspberry.
Little Kiss Series
Japan is also known for its luscious dessert liquors which has become a staple in many specialty and souvenir stores in the country.
Little Kiss Coffee Shochu is a coffee-flavored liqueur made by century-old Higashi Sake Brewery is part of the Little Kiss line of products, which aims to appeal to the younger market. It’s made of coffee that come from Japan, Columbia, and Brazil with Kome (Rice) Shochu. The delicate aroma of the coffee goes well with the robust flavors of the shochu.
Another part of Higashi Sake Brewery’s Little Kiss Series is the Black Tea Shochu. It uses Benifuuki black tea leaves from Tokunoshima in Kagoshima Prefecture soaked in Kome Shochu and black sake, giving the liquor its golden amber color. It’s a refreshing and easy-to-drink liqueur that blends the sweetness of black sake with the aroma of black tea so beautifully, making it ideal for tea time or paired with light meals.
The shochu from the Little Kiss Series has 14% ABV (alcohol by volume) and is best enjoyed chilled, on the rocks, mixed as a highball, or even with a splash of milk.
These unique confections and dessert liquors are available at Mitsukoshi Fresh all year long.
For more information about JETRO Philippines and upcoming events, visit www.jetro.go.jp/philippines.