New seasonal routine at my home
I moved from Funabashi city, Chiba prefecture to Kyoto city in 2015. My wife found out the nice Japanese Confectionery Section at the basement food floor of Takashimaya, which is one of major Department store in Kyoto city center area. I was born in Kanazawa city. So as Childhood memory, I can’t forget about the fine tastes of the local traditional Japanese sweets there. Fortunately even in Kyoto, thanks to Kyoto Takashimaya, we can find out the nice JP sweets from Kanazawa. Therefore each season, we enjoy nice seasonal sweet tastes in Kyoto and Kanazawa ( and other places too) at my home.
Kyoto, Kanazawa, and Matsue are well-known for Japanese people as three remarkable Wagashi (Japanese Confectionery) Cities in Japan. These cities share a far-reaching history of tea culture, which has gracefully elaborated their traditional sweets into edible works of art that reflect the season. This means that artisans and shops of JP sweet in each region has kept the long lasting pride. So I personally though that it is very difficult that the local JP sweet shop in Kanazawa establlish the affiliated store in Kyoto to bring the taste from Kanazawa to Kyoto. On this point, my wife and I understood that Takshimaya has special magic. They are very famous large department store in all Japan. Therefore buyers of this department store bring the local flavor from each region of Japan to the different region. Therefore even in Kyoto, my wife and I can find out the local sweets in Kanazawa at the JP sweets section at the basement floor of Takashimaya.
Fine spring flavor from Kanazawa
When my wife went to the shopping at Takashimaya last time, she found out Sakura Kintsuba by Nakataya. Nakatahya is one of the most well-known traditional JP sweets shops in Kanazawa city. Especially Kintsuba of Nakataya is quite popular.
What is Kintsuba?
Kintsuba is a traditional Japanese sweet consisting of thick bean paste held together with agar and coated in a very thin layer of wheat flour dough, which is then pan-fried. Nakataya is famous for its high-quality, plump adzuki beans and delicate, thin crust.
Sakura Kintsuba?
Nakataya’s “Sakura Kintsuba” (桜キンツバ) is a seasonal, spring-limited specialty. Unlike the classic adzuki bean kintsuba, this Spring seasonal version features delicate white azuki beans (Shiro-azuki) carefully simmered into a soft, textured paste.The white bean paste is blended with the subtle, savory scent of pickled cherry blossom (Sakura) leaves, offering a perfect balance of sweet and savory.
To cherry blossom season in Kanazawa
Whenever my wife and I enjoy the seasonal JP cake from Nakataya at my home in Kyoto, yes, I would like to see very fine Sakura, Cherry blossom storm in Kanazawa. Of course, Sakura in my living city, Kyoto, is very very fine. On the other hand, I can’t forget the fine blossom in my born city, Kanazawa too. I don’t know I can go there in April this year. Hope I can reach there on time. Here is several photos I took in Kanazawa at the end of March and early Apr in past time.
You can access to Kanazawa from Tokyo with Hokuriku Shinkansen or from Osaka/Kyoto with Thunderbird Super Express train + Hokuriku Shinkansen. If you have chance, hope enjoy in Kanazawa’s very nice Cherry blossom storm.
