Random Picture #137

One of the things that I did on a semi-regular basis when I was living in Japan was pick up a bag of frozen imagawayaki to keep in my freezer for breakfast or snacking. I liked the compact size and the fact that it was well-formulated such that it didn't suffer much (or at all) in quality for being a frozen food. In fact, I think that there were some ways in which it was superior to fresh versions.

Of course, that does depend on precisely how fresh it is. The picture above, taken in Asakusa, shows a man operating a machine to make these filled-pancake-style sweets. This shot was interesting not so much because it's a form of street food, but because it's so mechanized compared to the way that such things are usually made. All of those Borg-like tubes that plop batter and bean paste into molds represent a step up for the usual guy with a funnel and a spatula that is more common.

The entire set-up reminds me of the whole melding of the old (doing it by hand) with the new (but using modern equipment) that really is a tightly woven part of Japanese culture.

Random Picture #124

When I left Japan, I received so many gifts that I could very likely fuel two months worth of blog posts by just posting pictures of the items I received, and that would be posting every single day. My friends, acquaintances, and business associates were generous in the extreme, and I had the full luggage to prove it. 

Some people asked me what I wanted to have as a souvenir of Japan and I told them that food gifts would be great. It wasn't only that I liked the food, but also that I could consume at least part of what I was given before leaving and wouldn't have to struggle so hard with heavy suitcases or shipping stuff home. The weight limit for each suitcase was 50 lbs. (about 23 kg.) and my husband and I were up to the limit on each of our 4 bags. You can see how food gifts would be appealing under the circumstances. We didn't get weighed so gaining a few pounds from delcious food wasn't going to cause a problem. ;-)

One of my students gave me a beautiful set of chopsticks (nice, light gift) and this bag of "Hello Kitty" imagawayaki. For those who don't recall, that's a waffle-like cake with various fillings inside of it. This bag contained "mystery" fillings. You never knew what sort you were going to get, but I learned that there was chocolate, custard, white bean, and red bean in the bunch. I had some imagawayaki/taiyaki in Japan which wasn't great, but I never had any that wasn't good. These little morsels were a mixed bag in that regard. Some flavors were great, and others a little funky. I recall that the white bean (usually my favorite) was the most disappointing. If you have a chance to try these in any shape or form, I definitely recommend giving them a try. There is a Japan town in San Jose (which is somewhat near where I'm staying at present), and I'm hoping to find some place which sells them there... not "Hello Kitty" ones specifically, but imagawayaki (or taiyaki) in general. 

Nichirei Custard Cream Imagawayaki

"Imagawayaki" is a very Japanese-sounding name for a food that is often sold in a manner which is very accessible to Western palates. It's a sort of cake which is very, very similar to a pancake or waffle on the outside and has various fillings on the inside. The most common presentation is one which is filled with red bean paste, and the second most frequently seen is vanilla custard.

I walk by a place that sells freshly made taiyaki and imagawayaki in addition to "soft cream" (soft-serve ice cream) several times a week so I have seen how these are made literally hundreds of times. There is a special metal pan with which is well-oiled and has large circular holes. Batter is poured into two sides and a dollop of red bean paste or custard is plopped into the center of one half. After the outside is set and the inside is not yet fully cooked, the two halves are combined and the filling is sealed in the center. Depending on the maker, the amount of pancake to filling ratios can dramatically differ. Though I've never had them, I think this sort of thing is roughly similar to ebelskiver and likely the Japanese treat is derived from some European culinary influence.

Though I've walking by this shop hundreds of times, I've never bought one. I was once given a bag of them by a visiting student (well over a decade ago), and thought that the outside had a bit of a funky taste to it and that the pancake part had a weird, chewy, almost tough texture. I figured it was from the oil in the pans which is likely not really cleaned out all day between cakes, but just given a once over with a paper towel before fresh oil is applied. That didn't really turn me off per se, but I just never got around to stopping and buying one.

 Frozen and ready to face the microwave.

I came across this frozen version by huge food conglomerate Nichirei at a local supermarket. I thought that this would be a chance to try a version which readers could find (at least those living in Japan or with access to a Japanese market) as well as reacquaint myself with what they're like. A bag of five cakes cost 398 yen ($4.79). Each is 65 grams/2.3 oz. and has 143 calories and is about roughly 6 cm. or so (roughly 2.5".) in diameter. While hardly a "generous" portion, it makes for a substantial snack. Nichirei makes a point of mentioning that the custard used in these cakes is made with eggs and cream.

There are multiple types of instructions depending on how many you are heating and how, but I opted to just have one which you are instructed to heat for 50 seconds at 500W or 600W. My microwave is very uneven in its heating of foods, so I paused at the 25 second mark and turned it over. The result was perfectly warmed without being too hot. Good job on the instructions, Nichirei!

It was a little difficult cutting the warmed cake in half for a picture of the interior because it was soft and a little squishy, but not so airy as to collapse under pressure. It smells pretty much like a freshly cooked pancake. The interior texture is really quite good. It's fluffy on the inside and the custard has just enough softness without being too gooey. The custard if very sweet and has a strong but not overbearing vanilla flavor. The cake itself pretty much tastes as you'd expect, like a plain pancake.

This was really good and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it came out for a frozen food. I've actually done business in my work with frozen food companies in Japan before and I know that they go to great lengths to ensure that the quality of the food is not impaired by the freezing process and it shows in this item. I can't imagine that a fresh cake would be superior to this in any way. Even with the microwaving, the exterior did not come out soggy or have an odd texture as is so often the case with bread products when subjected to microwave heating.

I will definitely buy these again and think that they are especially attractive as a quick and sweet breakfast. If you're a pancake fan and don't want to make them yourself or buy some pre-made versions which are often gross or strange, this makes an excellent substitute and you don't need any syrup. Note that my packaging for this is a special release and the usual look can be seen on Nichirei's web page for this product.

If you're interested in downloading some quaint seasonally themed wallpapers, Nichirei has some on offer here.