Once a year treat - Usuba endo daifuku? I love the traditional Japanese sweet shop Anan, especially their Usuba endo daifuku. This time, I visited their main store in Habikino for the first time. They were offering a limited edition daifuku made with Usuba endo beans from Habikino. I found out about it on LINE the day before and immediately called to reserve 10 pieces. I got 6 for my family and 4 for myself. The soft mochi with a hint of firmness from the boiled Usuba endo beans, their fresh taste and aroma, and the mildly sweet white bean paste made for a refreshing daifuku. Anan really emphasizes using locally sourced ingredients. Of course, these Usuba endo beans are from Habikino. I didn't even know that Habikino's Usui was the birthplace of Usuba endo beans. Learning about Habikino's Usuba endo beans made me like them even more. But you know, Usuba endo beans are not only good for bean rice, they make delicious daifuku too!

This is a dorayaki made with Higashiosaka's specialty figs! When I checked the ingredients, I saw that they use domestically sourced materials, which gives me a sense of security. It can last for about three weeks after purchase, and it even has a symbol of a kofun (ancient tomb) on it, making it a perfect souvenir! The dorayaki has a traditional sweet outer layer. Instead of having whole figs inside the red bean paste, the figs are already mixed into the white bean paste, so you can still feel the texture of the figs. Personally, I didn't really like it because the sweetness was overpowering, and I couldn't taste the unique sourness and flavor of the figs. It's not that it's bad, just not to my taste. Thank you for the meal!

In September 2021, I bought some sweets from Wagashi Koubou Anan. They have a main store in Habikino, and they use local specialties like figs in their sweets. They also have cookies in the shape of ancient tombs and haniwa figures from the Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun, a World Heritage site. This time, I purchased the following two items: Habikino Hill Fig Field for 195 yen and Anan's Dorayaki for 195 yen. I enjoyed them at home. The Habikino Hill Fig Field is made with fresh fig jam sandwiched between white bean paste and sponge cake, creating a perfect balance of fig's tartness and sweetness. Even though I'm not a big fan of figs, I found this shape made it enjoyable for me. Anan's Dorayaki is made with red beans from Hokkaido, sugar, flour from Shiga Prefecture, eggs and honey from their local area in Tomitaka. The texture is moist and the bean paste has a refined sweetness. The design with a front-back circular mound motif is also charming. Both were delicious. Thank you for the meal!

I went to a roadside station and found this traditional Japanese sweets shop nearby. It was located in a residential area. The freshly made dorayaki had high ratings, so I decided to buy that for sure, and explore other items in the store with my husband. There were two parking spaces available. Inside the shop, there were various gift items with cute animal designs on the packaging. They also had many products related to moon-viewing. The fruit daifuku in the glass case looked delicious, so I bought the fig daifuku that I've been into lately. I also purchased the cafe au lait and matcha cream daifuku. I rated the fig daifuku 3.3 because it was unique. It wasn't overly sweet, maybe because black figs have a different taste? You can eat the skin too, which is a unique feature. The freshly made dorayaki had delicious red bean paste! The whipped cream was not heavy, and I would love to have it again. The water mochi nearby also looked very tasty, but since it's far from my home (40 minutes by car), I won't be a regular customer. If I ever visit the roadside station again, I would love to have the freshly made dorayaki before heading back!

The other day, I wrote an article about "Gokurakudou," a popular Japanese sweets shop in Taishi-cho. Lately, I've been craving Japanese sweets more often, so this time I visited "Wagashi Koubou Anan Habi Gaoka Honten," a popular Japanese sweets shop in Habikino City. This is the main store of "Wagashi Koubou Anan" that I introduced on my blog before, located in a quiet residential area unlike the bustling area around the Kishi store. When I visited, there were already two cars parked outside. As I entered, I saw a large showcase displaying recommended sweets, including the famous "Haninokakurenbo" cookies, which are related to the nearby Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun, a candidate for World Heritage status. Inside the store, there were various sweets on display, along with autographs of famous people who have visited the shop. On the left side, there were seasonal and classic sweets lined up. I chose a few sweets to purchase, and while waiting at the register, I was offered a fruit daifuku sample with tea! This alone was worth a high rating. I purchased some sweets, including the "Minazuki" (150 yen), a June sweet with a mochi-like outer layer and red bean paste on top, symbolizing the midsummer. Minazuki is a traditional Japanese sweet eaten on June 30th to pray for good health for the rest of the year. The "Kuzumochi" (150 yen) is a summer sweet with a jelly-like texture made from kudzu starch and sweet red bean paste. The "Kintsuba" (100 yen) is a classic sweet with a strong red bean flavor and a cute teru-teru-bozu design. The "Wakatogashi Choux Cream" (160 yen) features a crispy cookie crust filled with rich custard made from kudzu starch. This is a limited edition item at the Habikino store. Finally, the "Habikino Hill Fig Field" (150 yen) is a soft and fluffy sweet made with Shiga-grown flour, filled with a refined fig paste. It is inspired by the fig fields in Habikino. Overall, the sweets were delicious and the shop had a cozy atmosphere.

There are bite-sized heart-shaped Monaka sweets available, with 10 different flavors of filling. My daughter and I always end up getting all 10 flavors because we can't decide, leading to intense battles of rock-paper-scissors. These cute treats make great souvenirs and are sure to be appreciated.

I ate mitarashi dango and fluffy fresh dorayaki (^^) Both were extremely delicious! The mitarashi dango had sweet mochi and delicious sauce. The fresh dorayaki was fluffy and the red bean paste and cream were just right.

I was drawn to a creatively crafted dish and couldn't resist trying it, so I didn't get to taste the traditional Japanese sweets. The prices were reasonable, and I believe the chef is skilled.

It's a nearby Japanese confectionery shop. When I moved here, I found it in the neighborhood, but I didn't have many chances to visit. I decided to try it out and bought some for home. It seems quite famous, as I've seen it on TV shows occasionally. The main attraction seems to be the steamed buns, but in our house, the wheat gluten steamed buns are more popular.

I love the "Minami Osaka Excitement Team"! I grew up surrounded by mandarin oranges and vineyards in Minami Kawachi and I love it there! It's a green area with plenty of tranquil surroundings and overflowing with delicious ingredients. Currently, I am exploring delicious restaurants in Sakai, Izumi, and Minami Kawachi, running around in all directions! I have encountered many delicious restaurants saying, "Yummy!" There are plenty of special products in Minami Osaka, such as Osaka mandarins, Osaka grapes (Delaware, Kyoho, Pione), Izumi onions, Izumi cabbage, Izumi water eggplants, Osaka edamame, young burdock, Osaka bamboo shoots, Osaka peaches, Osaka figs. I felt like having Anan's cream daifuku after a long time and made a detour to stop by! There are nostalgic sweets like chestnut yokan and kudzu cream puffs lined up. I love sweets that combine the best of Japanese and Western flavors with an elegant sweetness! Strawberry daifuku (white bean paste), Strawberry daifuku (chunky bean paste), Matcha ore daifuku (matcha), Matcha ore daifuku (coffee), Matcha ore daifuku (black tea), Mandarin daifuku.

I received this as a gift from a friend. I've had their monaka before and remember that the various fillings were delicious. This was my first time trying their dorayaki. The sponge cake was fluffy and thick, and the filling was light and tasty. It was just the kind of flavor I like. I've never visited the shop myself, but I heard that the owner is a classmate from middle school. There were 10 classes back then, so we didn't directly know each other, but I still feel like cheering on a classmate who's doing well.

When it comes to spring wagashi, "Strawberry Daifuku" is a must-have. Decorated fittingly for the new year, this "Strawberry Daifuku" is a delightful find. With a glossy strawberry sitting atop a white bean paste daifuku, it looks almost like a Western confection. You can start by enjoying the strawberry first, or save it for the last bite. The softness of the mochi, the smooth sweetness of the bean paste, and the refreshing acidity of the strawberry come together harmoniously. Perhaps it's the charm of wagashi that makes you feel a sense of comfort. In addition to white bean paste, there are also versions with chunky bean paste, and other fruit daifuku besides strawberries. This casual wagashi pairs perfectly with coffee.

July 22, 2013 [Souvenir] I received this as a souvenir. It's from a famous shop that has won twice on TV Champion. It's a coffee daifuku, a traditional Japanese sweet, but when you eat it, it has a mysterious taste like a Western dessert. The outer dough is very chewy. The red bean paste inside is mixed with coffee, and a little whipped cream is also inside. It's a delicious daifuku that blends Japanese and Western flavors well. The unique Japanese sweets at this shop are not seen in other stores, and I would like to try their popular warabi mochi if I have the chance. Thank you for the meal! ★3.5

Happy New Year! I am looking for a souvenir to bring to my family when we visit my parents' house in Shiga, and I came across a delicious traditional Japanese sweets shop in Habikino. This shop has even won on the TV show "TV Champion." The shop is located in a nice residential area and when you enter, you will see a variety of traditional Japanese sweets. What's this? The ingredients used in the sweets are displayed! As a food enthusiast, I really appreciate this attention to detail. I was planning to choose something that would last until the next day, but there are so many delicious options that I am having a hard time deciding. They even have the heart-shaped Monaka featured on the Kansai TV show "Yo-i Don!" and the winning product from TV Champion, the Ume Tamadare. Hmm...this time, I think I will go with the Daifuku that everyone can enjoy together! I am looking forward to trying them today! As a personal treat for myself, I also bought the fluffy Dorayaki and the Three-Color Dango. The Three-Color Dango (Sakura, Yuzu, and Yomogi) is one of the main products of this shop. The appearance is bouncy, and the texture is chewy and enjoyable. It's completely different from regular Three-Color Dango. The fluffy raw Dorayaki, as the name suggests, has a soft and gentle egg flavor. The harmony of the cream and red bean filling is just right in sweetness and richness. It was a wonderful Dorayaki that played a beautiful harmony. I will definitely visit again!

At SweetsBox in front of Nankai Namba Station. I will post my review here. I was planning to buy some sweets on my way back from work and when I peeked in, they were offering a sample of warabimochi. That warabimochi was amazing!! It melted in my mouth. I was originally planning to buy three-colored dango, but after trying the sample, I was a bit undecided. However, I ended up buying the three-colored dango as planned. It was 525 yen for 5 pieces, and they even gave me an extra one when I made the purchase (^o^) I ate one when I got home, and it was delicious!!!! It had flavors of cherry blossom, yuzu, and mugwort (*^^*) I couldn't really taste the yuzu flavor, but I was still very satisfied (*^^*) Thank you for the meal.

I came to the store to buy something for Father's Day and my father's birthday. I had been to the store in Kishi before, but this was my first time here. Kishi's shop is more casual and easy to enter, but this one has a high-class and elegant feel. Even inside the store, it was very quiet. I was thinking of my father, but there weren't many things that seemed to be to his liking, so I only got one manju. At our house (laughs), I got a cute wagashi that looks like edamame, with sweet bean paste wrapped in mochi. I couldn't really taste the edamame flavor, but it's a fun and cute wagashi to enjoy. I also got a "Wagashi Cream Puff." I'm not sure what makes it "Japanese," but the cream was more "gooey" than usual. Despite only buying a few items, I was treated with care. Thank you for the meal.

During a work break on March 27, 2012, I visited a popular shop with limited parking space. I quickly found some items to purchase and tried them out: Tri-colored dumplings (cherry blossom, yuzu, mugwort) for 105 yen, Fresh strawberry dorayaki for 260 yen, Heart-shaped cream-filled monaka with Hokkaido milk for 158 yen, and Strawberry daifuku with white bean paste for 180 yen. I'm not a big fan of dumplings as they tend to leave an aftertaste, but these tri-colored ones had a light and easy-to-eat texture. The fresh strawberry dorayaki was a unique combination of pancake-like dough with red bean paste, cream, and strawberries. The monaka had 10 different flavors, each color-coded, with a thin outer shell and a generous filling. The heart shape made it a cute gift option, especially for women. The strawberry in the daifuku was sweet and delicious, but the moistness of the mochi was the highlight. The shop seems to take care in packaging, but the checkout process can be slow during busy times, so be prepared to wait. I would definitely visit again if I pass by the area.

There were customers in the shop, so I was served tea and sweets. It was my first time at this shop, and I had high expectations. There were two parking spaces available. They had several types of sweets related to Setsubun. There was the usual "yakuyoke manju," but I thought it was a bit boring. Then, I saw a red demon-shaped sweet. It had sweet bean paste inside and the demon's expression was so cute that I decided to buy it. It will surely be a fun conversation starter. They also had a "fukuromaki" (roll with strawberry and cream inside) for Setsubun and heart-shaped monaka for Valentine's Day. I bought the heart-shaped monaka as a gift for my friend's husband, which had 6 types of sweet bean paste flavors to choose from - tomato, blueberry, matcha, and I forgot the rest. I selected 5 flavors and had them packed in a transparent container with a cute string tied around it. However, I couldn't just carry it like that, so I asked for a bag and they gave me a large paper bag, which was a bit disappointing. It would be nice if they had a seating area (even just chairs) for customers, especially when the wrapping takes some time with other customers around. I also bought a kuzu-filled cream puff for myself. It had a generous amount of cream that was different from typical Western-style cream puffs and was delicious. This shop is full of seasonal charm, and it's enjoyable just to look around.

I received some wagashi from Wagashi Koubou Anan! I tried the Mitarashi Dango and the Wagashi Cream Puff right away! The Mitarashi Dango was soft and the sauce had just the right amount of saltiness. It was quite light and not too heavy, which I liked. As for the Wagashi Cream Puff, it looked like a regular cream puff at first. I was wondering what was different about it. But the cream was more velvety compared to a regular cream puff. It didn't have a strong Japanese taste, but the aftertaste was good. I recommend it! Kei☆