Raindrop cake

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Raindrop cake
Raindrop Cake (28130238005).jpg
TypeDessert
Place of originJapan
Main ingredientsWater, agar
Raindrop cake served with kuromitsu and kinako

Raindrop cake is a dessert made of water and agar that is supposed to resemble a raindrop. It first became popular in Japan in 2014, and later gained international attention.

History[]

Originally a Japanese dessert known as mizu shingen mochi (水信玄餅), the dish is as an evolution of the traditional Japanese dessert shingen mochi (信玄餅).

Shingen Mochi[]

Shingen mochi was first created as an emergency food during the Sengoku era by the daimyo, Takeda Shingen. This was made from rice flour and sugar.[1][2]

Mizu Shingen Mochi[]

In modern Japan, locals in Hokuto-cho began incorporating fresh mineral water into the dessert. Kinseiken Seika Company in Yamanashi Prefecture was one of the first stores to sell this during the weekends.[3]

Mizu means water and shingen mochi is a type of sweet rice cake (mochi) made by the Kinseiken company.[4] The year prior in 2013, the creator wanted to explore the idea of making edible water.[4] The dessert became a viral sensation and people made special trips to experience the dish.[5]

Darren Wong introduced the dish to the United States in New York City at the April 2016 Smorgasburg food fair.[5][6][7] Shortly after, London restaurant Yamagoya worked four months to develop another version.[5]

Description[]

The dish is made from mineral water and agar; thus, it has virtually no calories.[5][6][7] The water from the original dish was obtained from Mount Kaikoma of the Southern Japanese Alps, and it has been described as having a mildly sweet taste.[4] The agar is a vegetarian/vegan alternative to gelatin that is made from seaweed.[6][8] After being heated, it is molded and cooled.[6] A molasses-like syrup, called kuromitsu, and soybean flour, called kinako, are used as toppings.[5][6][7] The dish appears like a transparent raindrop, although it has also been compared to breast implants and jellyfish.[5][6] The largely tasteless dessert melts when it enters the mouth and must be eaten immediately, or it will melt and begin to evaporate after twenty minutes.[5][7]

The dessert is also sold in kits to be made at home.[8] It has been showcased by mainstream American media on The Today Show, BuzzFeed and ABC News.[8]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "信玄餅 | 金精軒". 金精軒 | ���山梨県北杜市で和菓子屋を営んでおります。 (in Japanese). 2011-01-31. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
  2. ^ "Raindrop Cake, A Low Calorie Japanese Dessert You Need To Try!". Honest Food Talks. 2021-06-01. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
  3. ^ "2019年 水信玄餅をお求めの方へ | 金精軒". 金精軒 | 　山梨県北杜市で和菓子屋を営んでおります。 (in Japanese). 2019-05-01. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
  4. ^ a b c "Mizu Shingen Mochi: Water You Can Eat?". Japan Info. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Maitland, Hayley (2018-08-14). "Everything You Need To Know About Raindrop Cakes". British Vogue. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "What is a Raindrop Cake – How to Make a Raindrop Cake". Delish. 2018-03-13. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
  7. ^ a b c d Strutner, Suzy; Aiken, Kristen (2016-03-31). "Get Ready, This Magical Raindrop Cake Is Coming To America". HuffPost. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
  8. ^ a b c "Raindrop Cake Making Kit". Raindrop Cake. 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2018-08-16.

External links[]

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