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Dorayaki
Dorayaki is a type of Japanese confection. It consists of two small pancake-like patties made from castella wrapped around a filling of sweet azuki bean paste. The original dorayaki consisted of only one layer. Its current shape was invented in 1914 by ''Usagiya'' in the Ueno district of Tokyo. In Japanese, ''dora'' means "gong" and the name reflects the original dorayaki was baked (''yaki'') on a heated gong, the Kyoto based confectionery Sasaya Iori states, claiming they invented dorayaki in request from Toji Temple There is however a rumor it is probably the origin of the name of the sweet. Legend has it that the first dorayaki were made when a |
Sweet Bean
is a 2015 Japanese drama film directed by Naomi Kawase. It is the second film, after I Wish, to star real-life grandmother and granddaughter Kirin Kiki and Kyara Uchida. The film was selected to open the Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. It was also selected to be screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Plot Sentaro is a middle-aged man who runs a small dorayaki shop in the outskirts of Tokyo. The shop is frequented by locals and secondary-school pupils alike. When he puts up a notice saying that he is looking for a co-worker, he is approached by Tokue, a lady in her mid-seventies, who states that she has always wanted to work in a dorayaki shop. Sentaro initially rejects her application, afraid that the work would prove too much for the old lady who, moreover, has somewhat deformed hands. However, he is swayed when he tries Tokue's '' anko'' (red bean paste); its taste and texture are far sup ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sweet Bean Paste (novel)
''Sweet Bean Paste'', a novel by Japanese author Durian Sukegawa (pen name for Tetsuya Akikawa) and translated into English by Alison Watts, tells the story of an elderly woman, a middle-aged man, and a young girl who come together in an unusual companionship to explore friendship, life, and meaning. Synopsis The central character, Sentaro, is a middle-aged man who manages Doraharu, a shop that sells dorayaki, a type of Japanese pancake filled with sweet bean paste, in the outskirts of Tokyo. Sentaro is a man who has lost all hope and motivation in life and is working to pay off debt. One day at the shop Sentaro is approached by Tokue Yoshii, an elderly woman who states that she has always wanted to work in a dorayaki shop. Sentaro initially rejects her application, afraid that the work would prove too difficult for an elderly woman who has a physical disability. However, he is swayed when she drops off a tub of delicious homemade sweet bean paste and says she will work at one-t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castella
is a type of Japanese sponge cake and is known for its sweet, moist brioche-style flavour and texture. It is based on cakes introduced to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. It was then popularized in the city of Nagasaki, where it is considered a specialty. Despite its foreign origins, it is considered a kind of ''wagashi'', or traditional Japanese confectionery. To suit the tastes of Japanese people, '' mizuame'' syrup was added to the sponge cake to make it more moist, and ''zarame'' (coarse sugar) was added to the bottom to give it a coarser texture. Castella is usually baked in square or rectangular molds, then cut and sold in long boxes, with the cake inside being approximately long. Etymology The word "castella" is derived from the Portuguese , meaning "cake from Castile". Its closest relative is '' pão-de-ló'', a Portuguese cake. ''Pão-de-ló'' can be in turned derived from the French ''Pain de lof'' or ''Gâteau de Savoie''. Similar Europea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gibraltarian Cuisine
Gibraltarian cuisine is the result of a long relationship between the people of Spanish Andalusia and those of Great Britain, as well as the many foreigners who have made Gibraltar their home over the past three centuries. These influences include those of the culinary traditions of Malta, Genoa, and Portugal. This marriage of tastes has produced in Gibraltar an eclectic mix of Mediterranean and British cuisines. Below are some examples of typical Gibraltarian dishes. Pasta Rosto A popular local pasta dish of Italian origin consisting of penne in a tomato sauce with beef or occasionally pork, mushrooms and carrots (among other vegetables depending on family tradition) and topped with grated "'' queso bola''". The origin of its name is probably from the Italian word "arrosto". Fideos al horno A baked pasta dish very similar to the Spanish ''fideos al horno'', Maltese '' imqarrun'' or Greek pastitsio which consists of macaroni, bolognese sauce, and various other ingredients i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castella
is a type of Japanese sponge cake and is known for its sweet, moist brioche-style flavour and texture. It is based on cakes introduced to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. It was then popularized in the city of Nagasaki, where it is considered a specialty. Despite its foreign origins, it is considered a kind of ''wagashi'', or traditional Japanese confectionery. To suit the tastes of Japanese people, '' mizuame'' syrup was added to the sponge cake to make it more moist, and ''zarame'' (coarse sugar) was added to the bottom to give it a coarser texture. Castella is usually baked in square or rectangular molds, then cut and sold in long boxes, with the cake inside being approximately long. Etymology The word "castella" is derived from the Portuguese , meaning "cake from Castile". Its closest relative is '' pão-de-ló'', a Portuguese cake. ''Pão-de-ló'' can be in turned derived from the French ''Pain de lof'' or ''Gâteau de Savoie''. Similar Europea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—and List of islands of Japan, thousands of smaller islands, covering . Japan has a population of over 123 million as of 2025, making it the List of countries and dependencies by population, eleventh-most populous country. The capital of Japan and List of cities in Japan, its largest city is Tokyo; the Greater Tokyo Area is the List of largest cities, largest metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37 million inhabitants as of 2024. Japan is divided into 47 Prefectures of Japan, administrative prefectures and List of regions of Japan, eight traditional regions. About three-quarters of Geography of Japan, the countr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rice Cake
A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten. Common variations include cakes made with rice flour, those made from ground rice, and those made from whole grains of rice compressed together or combined with some other binding substance. Types of rice cakes by region Types of rice cake include: Burmese Burmese cuisine has a variety of snacks and desserts called ''mont'' made with various types of rice, rice flour and glutinous rice flour. Sweet Burmese ''mont'' are generally less sweet than counterparts in other parts of Southeast Asia, instead deriving their natural sweetness from constituent ingredients (e.g., grated coconut, coconut milk, glutinous rice, fruit, etc.). Cambodian * Ansom chek is a banana leaf sticky rice cake. It is served all year long but it is most prevalent during Bun Pchum Ben or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apam Balik
''Appam, Apam balik'' (; Jawi script, Jawi: ) also known as ''martabak manis'' (), ''terang bulan'' (), peanut pancake or ''mànjiānguǒ'' (), is a sweet dessert originating in Fujian cuisine which now consists of many varieties at specialist roadside stalls or restaurants throughout Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. It can also be found in Hong Kong as (), Taiwan as (), Southern Thailand as ''Khanom Thang Taek'' (ขนมถังแตก) and in the Sulu Archipelago, Philippines as ''Tarambulan''. Origins The origins of Apam balik / 曼煎粿 attributes its invention to Zuo Zongtang, a military leader of the late Qing dynasty. In 1855, the army of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom invaded the Fujian region and General Zuo was appointed to lead an army to crush the rebels. To provide the soldiers with food without interfering the life of local people, General Zuo decided to switch from the flatbread which was eaten together with spring onion and chilli sauce, to a p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naomi Kawase
is a Japanese film director. She was also known as , with her former husband's surname. Many of her works have been documentaries, including ''Embracing'', about her search for the father who abandoned her as a child, and ''Katatsumori'', about the grandmother who raised her. Early life and education Growing up in the rural region of Nara, Japan, Kawase's parents split early on in her childhood, leaving her to be raised by her great-aunt, with whom she held a combative, yet loving, relationship.Karatsu 2009, p. 168. She originally attended the Osaka School of Photography (Ōsaka Shashin Senmon Gakkō; now Visual Arts College Osaka) to study television production, but she became interested in film and decided to switch her focus. She was a student of Shunji Dodo at the college. She graduated in 1989.. Career After graduating, she spent an additional four years at the college as a lecturer before releasing ''Embracing''. Employing her interest in autobiography, most of her f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nara, Nara
is the capital city of Nara Prefecture, Japan. , Nara has an estimated population of 367,353 according to World Population Review, making it the largest city in Nara Prefecture and sixth-largest in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara is a core city located in the northern part of Nara Prefecture bordering the Kyoto Prefecture. Nara was the capital of Japan during the Nara period from 710 to 784 as the seat of the Emperor before the capital was moved to Nagaoka-kyō, except for the years 740 to 745, when the capital was placed in Kuni-kyō, Naniwa-kyō and Shigaraki Palace. Nara is home to eight major historic temples, shrines, and heritage sites, specifically Tōdai-ji, Saidai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, Kasuga Shrine, Gangō-ji, Yakushi-ji, Tōshōdai-ji, and the Heijō Palace, together with Kasugayama Primeval Forest, collectively form the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Etymology By the Heian period, a variety of different characters had ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Wakakusa
, also known as Mount Mikasa (三笠山 ''Mikasa-yama''), is a hill located to the east of Nara Park in the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea .... The mountain's name literally means "young grass". The mountain is closed from December 12th to March 17th and cannot be accessed. On the fourth Saturday of January year, the dead grass of Mount Wakakusa is burned in an annual festival known as ''Yamayaki'' (山焼き literally "mountain burning"). Yamayaki festival On the fourth Saturday of January, the dead grass on Mount Wakakusa is burned in an annual festival known as ''Yamayaki'' (山焼き literally "mountain burning"). The tradition supposedly originated from a boundary dispute between two temples, Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
