scribbler at large

During our quarantine stint after we first arrived in Japan, I got an email from an acquaintance who’s been living in Tokyo for two years. One of the things she said was, “the baked goods scene here is ridiculous.” I wrote back “Tell me more about about the baked goods!” but as soon as I got out of the house I realized there was no need for a tour guide/extensive research on this one. There are just bakeries everywhere. On my commute to work I pass five bakeshops without even stepping outside the train station. Sweets rule in Japan!

Disclaimer: due to COVID and being a toddler mom, I’ve only experienced a tiny whiff of the dessert lineup here, so consider the first of possibly many pastry posts.

A super popular local bakery in our neighborhood.

What’s more surprising to me than their ubiquity, is that these bakeries are selling French/European style products. There is definitely a Japanese twist (think, a curry-stuffed brioche bun), but it’s easy to find croissants, pain au chocolat, baumkuchen, and cream puffs.

My first instinct was to dismiss these euro-themed stores based on my experience in China, where the bakeries were full of elaborately decorated western desserts that collapsed like a puff of sweet dusty air when you bit into them. In a real amateur move, I expected the same from Japan.

The top shelf here features croque monsieur, and the bottom has savory pastries with a Japanese flair.

Sure, the pastries here are also suspiciously gorgeous and fluffy, but frankly they’re good. That said, while they look like the pastries I know from the U.S., they are fragile, delicately flavored versions. If I buy a croissant on my way to work and stick it in my backpack, protected by its own special backpack pocket, it will still be squished by the time I eat it 15 minutes later. I’m pretty sure the weight of the ambient air crushes it. But the flavor and pastry layers are tasty. I’ve done very little research, but assume the fragility is thanks to a different type of flour.

Mini works of art at the Sheraton near Tokyo Disney. Please note the dessertified “Penton,” the Sheraton’s mascot penguin. More on mascots later.

Pain au raisins. Most bakeries feature the tray/tongs tool combo—know that picking something up with your bare hands is barbaric.

My skepticism would’ve probably delayed my exploration if I hadn’t missed breakfast one morning and visited a train station bakeshop while starving. I bought the above spiral pastry packed with custard and raisins and was genuinely overjoyed at how good it was. I bought one every day for the next two weeks until it became a health concern.

Then, I discovered a whole shop dedicated to cream puffs! And another that sells only egg tarts. Another shop in the same train station sells mini cheesecakes. Is this heaven?

The discoveries continue—during a work trip a few weeks ago I transferred trains at Tokyo Station and was totally overwhelmed by the options there. I saw cakes and cookies and Japanese sweets that were crafted into different architectural designs and anime characters—the cuteness/aesthetic achievements are unparalleled.

Unexpectedly, baumkuchen is extremely popular here. I can’t remember ever eating baumkuchen before this, but it reigns supreme in Japan. And also comes in a bunch of wild shapes:

Baumkuchen for the mature and sophisticated.

Baumkuchen to be consumed within one month (what a shelf life!)

The delicate quality of baked goods extends to bread, too. It’s tough to find a hearty sourdough, a crusty loaf of white or wheat bread, or a baguette that isn’t on the soft end of the spectrum. The one bakery near us that has sourdough, sells it in packages of 4 slices! Because what would you do with an entire loaf of bread?

One more note on bread: as you probably already know, milk bread is Japanese specialty—a pillowy, slightly sweet, beautiful puff bread. It is comforting and aesthetically pleasing, and probably has limited nutritional value. I personally prefer a heftier savory carb, or a sweeter dessert, but can appreciate the artistry involved.

Interestingly, the bakeries in our neighborhood and along my commute (except for 2) don’t open until midmorning—another big cultural difference. Thank goodness for the two shops that are open at 7:30 am to meet my A.M. snacking needs. Another cultural deet: when I buy something at a bakery, the cashier always asks me if I want a bag. This does not mean, shall I put your croissant into a bag? The first bag is inevitable, Instead, they are asking if I’d like to put my bagged pastry into another, larger and more decorative bag. Like other asian countries we’ve visited, packaging seems very important here.

The fancy cheesecake vendor in the train station. Check out the packaging! Germ transmission must be stopped.

Melon bread, another famous dessert in Japan. It’s a sweet bun that’s coated in a crunchy cookie shell and topped with sugar. I think the name comes from the shape.

Pastry life here does have it’s risks: like buying an oblong bread topped with toasted cheese, expecting a parmesan-bread experience. Instead, when I bit into it, room temperature liquid cheese poured out of the center. Holy barf!

Another common surprise I’ve heard American’s gripe about is taking a huge bite out of a donut or roll that’s unexpectedly filled with red bean paste. Red bean paste has its merits, but the chalky texture can be a bit of a shock if you’re expecting jelly or custard. Not always a winner for the American palate. Yesterday, my boss mentioned cutting into a hamburger bun only to find coconut filling inside—whoops!

Even the convenience stores (konbinis) participate in pastry, and have a special refrigerated shelf dedicated to mini souffles, puddings, and cakes in cups. (At some point, I will write a full post about konbinis, because they deserve it.)

Last, and possibly most important, the packaged baked treats here are incredible. When I say packaged, I mean the type of packaging that gives Hostess products their eternal life. It is common here to receive individually packaged mini treats as small gifts. I was wary of these — some of them come with the little “freshness” packet inside! How can they be high quality? Well, the first one I tried was a little white bun that was filled with the most DELICIOUS vanilla custard. After that, I had a little rectangle of perfectly moist lemon cake (below), and then a yuzu and matcha flavored baumkuchen wedge (above). Truly impeccable bites! How could I have been so wrong?

And in case those high end treats are too uppity for you, the konbinis also carry their own brands of barely perishable baked goods. For example, this bag of mini chocolate-filled choux pastry. Look how far science has taken us!

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Again, I haven’t done much research on the history and influences of pastry in Japan, so if you’ve watched enough Netflix you’re most likely much more informed than I am. But my husband picked up a kid-friendly history book created by the city of Yokosuka that references the French influence on Yokohama in the 1800s. While it doesn’t touch on baumkuchen, the larger point is relevant:

After the French had returned home, the Japanese in Yokosuka realized that French people had left many things behind. Among these were the European style of cooking and manners. Young women who had worked as maids for the French families and chefs who had cooked in the shipyard had observed French customs. Their way of cooking and seasoning meat, seafood and vegetables, for example, and also the way they baked bread were so different from Japanese cooking. And yet, the French traditions were so sensitive, beautiful and tasteful that they remained in the hearts of the Japanese. For this reason their practice spread quickly among the locals and was introduced into the restaurants of Yokohama as “French cuisine.”

That’s all for now, more to come at some point! I’ll leave you with a few more photos:

This was labeled “Apple and cheese soft,” and each one weighed about one pound, so obviously I had to try one. The verdict: extremely soft and pillowy on the outside, and stuffed with chopped apples and a cream cheese variant that I couldn’t completely identify.

Let’s not forget mochi! I’ll write more about Japanese sweets someday soon.