I started my food walk around Namba area, but famous restaurants like a certain set meal shop and a certain shumai shop had such long lines that I had to give up. I decided to start at Kuromon Market for a quick bite, and I spotted some mitarashi dango. I'm from Aichi, but I realized that Kansai-style mitarashi dango is different. Is it different depending on the region? Kansai-style dango is chewy and stretchy, while Aichi-style dango is not stretchy. The mitarashi sauce in Kansai has a dashi (bonito stock) flavor, while Aichi uses soy sauce and sugar or just soy sauce. The dango in Kansai is soaked in the sauce, while in Aichi, they are piled up. I remember having something similar in Kyoto. I thought it's better to stick to what I'm used to, but this was also good. Thank you for the meal.

"Nekomochi" is a type of mochi that is shaped like a sea cucumber. It is not commonly referred to by that name in Osaka anymore. There are various types available, such as plain white mochi, shrimp mochi with shrimp mixed in, bean mochi with black beans mixed in, and mugwort mochi with mugwort mixed in. Occasionally, you may also find mochi made with glutinous rice, millet for a yellow color, or brown sugar mixed in. I have loved the brown sugar mochi since I was a child, and have been buying it at this market in Kuromon for about 15 years now. I am happy that they sell it in smaller portions and pre-cut, making it convenient. I enjoy it toasted in a toaster oven without any toppings. The taste of mochi rice and brown sugar alone brings me happiness. Starch and sugar, hooray! The taste is even better with the filter of seasonal events. Nekomochi (brown sugar) sold by weight for 560 yen (170 yen per 100g).

Suddenly, when I looked to the side, my wife was not there. I looked around and saw her stopped at a shop behind us, making a purchase! When she returned, she had bought "mitarashi dango" (sweet rice dumplings on a stick) (^^;) We decided to take it home and enjoy it with the family (^^) It was incredibly soft and a large size mitarashi dango! It was not too sweet and very delicious. Thank you for the meal!

After having a meal with my partner, we went to Kuromon Market for shopping. Some of the shops we wanted to visit were closed, making it a bit disappointing, but on the bright side, there were fewer people around so we could take our time exploring. We noticed that some eateries were gradually reopening. Amongst them, we spotted a mochi shop with mitarashi dango displayed outside, soaked in a generous amount of sauce. We decided to purchase the two-colored mitarashi dango with a grass ball in the center. We were too full to eat it on the spot, so we brought it home to share with our family. The slightly larger-than-usual mochi balls were covered in a thick, gooey sauce. After heating them up, we took a bite. The white mochi balls seemed to have lost their crispy texture, perhaps due to melting during heating. They were a bit soft in texture. The mochi itself wasn't too sweet, so it paired well with the sweet red bean paste. The grass ball in the center was incredibly soft, almost like pudding. I could distinctly taste the mugwort flavor, which I enjoyed, although I wish the texture was a bit firmer. Perhaps the mochi had soaked in the sauce for too long, as the foot traffic in the market was still low. I imagine they would be even more delicious if freshly grilled and coated with sauce. I was also intrigued by the other daifuku and mochi offerings at the shop, so I look forward to returning when the market is livelier and more bustling.

I stopped at a traditional Japanese sweets shop in Kuromon Market and found red rice for sale. I also noticed various types of fish-shaped rice cakes, which got me really excited. I ended up buying the red rice (200g for 240 yen) and a shrimp rice cake (510 yen). The red rice was ordinary, but the shrimp rice cake had a strong shrimp smell as soon as I opened it. It had a delicious aroma when it was being cooked. It didn't stretch out much, probably because it had a high shrimp content. It was really tasty, but I thought it would be better if it was sliced thinner for quicker cooking and easier eating.

In front of the store, there is a sign that says "mochi." Inside, the shelves are lined with various snacks like wasabi squid fry, wasabi peanuts, and eel fins. I chose to buy the snack called kinako mochi, which has a chewy texture with plenty of kinako (soybean flour). I added black honey halfway through, which enhanced the sweetness and richness. Next time, I plan to try the neko mochi (cat mochi), which is said to resemble a cat's back before being cut into pieces.

Located inside Kuromon Market, this shop mainly sells rice cakes and Japanese sweets. I was intrigued by the Shine Muscat Daifuku and decided to try it. The Daifuku had large grapes inside with a good balance of white bean paste on the outside. It was not too sweet and very delicious.

I ate it during New Year's and it was so delicious that I might get addicted to shrimp rice cakes.

This is a traditional Japanese confectionery shop in Kuromon Market. Strawberry Daifuku @ 195 yen A gentle-textured strawberry daifuku. It contains a small whole strawberry. Thank you for the meal.

Chestnut Daifuku 195

Kuromon Market is really bustling with foreigners. It seems like there are a lot of wealthy people, enjoying expensive fruits, meats, and seafood. I strolled around the market, watching these tourists, and then I found this shop that was offering some items at a discounted price near closing time. I decided to buy a few things. The shopkeeper advised me that if I wasn't going to eat the rice cake today, I could freeze it for later. I also bought some firm bite-sized yokan, which is sweet but hard to resist. It's perfect for a snack with tea.

The other day at Kuromon Market... My wife was determined to buy warabi mochi, so we headed straight to this shop as soon as we entered the market. We had to push through the crowd of foreign tourists to finally reach it. It was exhausting. When we told the staff we wanted to buy warabi mochi, they said they didn't have any because it wasn't the season. My wife was disappointed. But then we saw kinako mochi - mochi with black honey. We imagined it would be like Chikushi mochi from Joshuan or Shingen mochi from Yamanashi, so we bought it. At home, we drizzled black honey on top and tried it. It did taste like Shingen mochi. The mochi had an incredible chewiness (as the staff had mentioned). It was soft but firm, not easy to cut. We're looking forward to the warabi mochi season now.

Just now, after enjoying a cold "mixed juice" at Kuromon Market, I continued to explore the market. I stumbled upon a traditional Japanese confectionery shop called "Santo-ya" with a variety of delicious-looking Japanese sweets on display. Out of curiosity, I purchased their popular "strawberry daifuku" (195 yen). It was a cute size with a promising filling. Upon tasting it, I thought to myself, "This is a refined strawberry daifuku and it's delicious." The mochi was very fine and had a good chewy texture, complemented by the subtle sweetness of the smooth red bean paste and the satisfying hint of acidity from the strawberry. It was delicious. I finished it in one bite. Overall, this strawberry daifuku was not too sweet, and the balance of flavors and textures made it a delightful treat. I recommend trying this traditional Japanese sweet from this well-established confectionery shop. Thank you for the meal. Rating: "Strawberry Daifuku" 3.4 points

Mother is looking forward to the monthly meal with her close group of 5 friends. She was complaining that they always share snacks at the meal and they always bring the same things from the department store. So, while visiting the cemetery in Tanimachi Kyuchome, we stopped by Kuromon Market to look for a souvenir that is unique to Osaka and Kuromon Market. We found a shop that has been in business for 60 years and bought a set of 5 "tora-yaki" for 820 yen (150 yen each). The "tora-yaki" is a castella cake with homemade red bean paste and sweetened white beans wrapped in it. The cakes are smaller than usual, with a generous amount of filling inside, making them easy to eat in one bite. They are also cute with a tiger pattern on top, and the set comes in a box with a cute tiger pattern wrapping paper. In terms of appearance, packaging, and size, they are perfect for souvenirs or gifts. I will definitely buy them again!

I explored Kuromon Market, which was bustling with many customers. I love places like this that are popular among the common people. As I was wandering around, I stumbled upon a traditional Japanese sweets shop. There were quite a few customers at the storefront. I decided to buy some as souvenirs. There were so many options that I had a hard time deciding, but I ended up picking out a few individually packaged items. It was a bit of a hassle waiting in line at the showcase, but being able to choose exactly what I wanted was worth it. The gentle sweetness of the sweets was really nice. They were all delicious, and I was very satisfied with my souvenirs!

Here is the second round of New Year's mochi! I splurged a bit and bought two bags. I felt it would be a waste to grill these mochi, so I enjoyed them all in ozoni (New Year's soup). Good mochi is really delicious, isn't it? Mochi is something where you can easily tell the difference between good and bad quality.

I stopped by on my way home from work. There was a special sale going on, so I browsed for a while... I bought one sakura mochi and one strawberry daifuku. The strawberry daifuku was very sweet with the strawberry juice bursting out as soon as you bite into it along with the white bean paste and mochi. It was deliciously sweet, but the flavor of the mochi didn't come through. The innocent strawberry... The sakura mochi was a treat after a long time. It was slightly smaller than the ones I usually see. The sweet and salty glutinous rice with a hint of sakura leaf fragrance was delicious on its own. If they made this into an onigiri, I would buy it immediately! Considering the size, the price was reasonable. Perfect for "one after a meal" or "one on the way home from work", right?

While strolling through Kuromon Market and admiring the fish, I came across a traditional Japanese sweets shop. I decided to visit and saw that kimimaro, a fellow reviewer, had also been there. The shop was filled with various types of chewy sweets, and I ended up choosing the recommended Black Sesame Warabi Mochi for 250 yen. I wasn't expecting much since I had recently been impressed by the Warabi Mochi in Kyoto, but this one had a generous amount of black sesame sprinkled on top, giving it a healthy touch. The Warabi Mochi was pleasantly chewy and the sesame flavor paired well with it, making it hard to stop eating. It was delicious! The only downside is that the black sesame tends to get stuck in your teeth, so be sure to check your teeth after eating it before meeting others.