The other day, I received a birthday present from Atsuko Ogatani-chan, and one of them was this cute dessert. It even comes with a spatula, and it's actually a Western confectionery with silver sugar sprinkled on top. It was delicious with a red tea flavor. It's fun to look at and a friend who gives such fun sweets as gifts is wonderful. It's like a cosmetic for a girl's heart. The water candy gloss also has a high reputation, and I often receive it as a souvenir at events. It's too precious to eat... I've been admiring it in the refrigerator for a while because it's so cute (laughs). I hope they continue to make sweets that make my heart flutter. The packaging is like a jewelry box, so I can't bring myself to throw it away (laughs). Eitaro www.eitaro.com/

I received a gift of anmitsu from the long-established anmitsu shop, Eitaro. Anmitsu with smooth red bean paste, melty sweet beans, and peach sauce. So delicious! I tried it and the anmitsu with smooth red bean paste is made with agar and fruits topped with red bean paste and black honey. I don't have a strong preference for red bean paste, but it was still delicious. The melty sweet beans with peach sauce has fruits and beans inside peach jelly. Is this what they call sweet beans? Japanese sweets are truly delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I bought Daifuku and Kashiwa Mochi at Eitaro. It seems that Kashiwa Mochi is a seasonal limited item available until May 5th. Kashiwa Mochi costs 241 yen for 52g and comes with miso paste, white bean paste, and ogura bean paste. I didn't like the miso paste as it had a subtle miso aroma and tasted like white bean paste, which was not to my liking. I decided to skip it as I also don't like white bean paste. After ordering the ogura bean paste, I realized it was made with grass mochi. I wanted white mochi with chunky bean paste instead! The Daifuku was not in the typical round shape, but rather the bean paste was sandwiched between two flattened mochi pieces. The surface of the mochi was smooth and the bean paste was quite sweet. The Daifuku cost around 160 yen for 81g. Unfortunately, it was not listed on the receipt, which left a bad aftertaste. The chunky bean paste was slightly sweet, the mochi was soft, and the expiration date was the next day. I wonder if it would harden if left until the next day. The saltiness was just right, and the black beans provided a good texture. I prefer black beans over red beans. The combination of chunky bean paste, black beans, and salty mochi was right up my alley! This Daifuku has now surpassed Toranomon Okano and taken the top spot in my Daifuku ranking. Okano is good too, especially considering the price and the white bean paste filling, but Eitaro has won me over with its chunky bean paste, black beans, and salty mochi.

This is a shop located in the corner of the wagashi section on the basement floor of Shinjuku Isetan. It is a long-established shop with multiple stores mainly in Tokyo. I purchased black bean daifuku and caramel candy sweet gloss this time. The black bean daifuku had a chewy and soft mochi with firm black beans that had a salty taste, and a generous amount of slightly sweet red bean paste. The caramel candy sweet gloss had a base of caramel with a slightly tangy berry fruit powder topping.

I purchased Eitaro candy as a small souvenir. Although it is called Umeboshi candy, it is actually a sweet caramel candy inside. The name comes from its resemblance to Umeboshi (pickled plum) and the clever combination of sweet candy with the name Umeboshi. The package is a red can with the retro and stylish characters of Eitaro candy. It makes a great gift for foreigners. This time I only bought the candy, but the traditional Japanese sweets also looked delicious, so I will try them next time.

I bought a bean daifuku at Eitairo Honten. The daifuku is cooked in a way that brings out the flavor of the beans and has a well-balanced level of saltiness. The mochi is very soft. When eaten with the crushed red bean paste inside, the perfect level of saltiness lingers. The black beans inside have a nice texture, not too soft or too hard. They provide a satisfying chewiness and enhance the deliciousness. The expiration date is on the same day, so let's enjoy it while it's still fresh.

I received a perfect assortment for New Year's from a neighbor, including black beans, edamame beans, chestnut sweet potatoes, and sweet red bean soup. I couldn't wait until New Year's to open it all up. The black beans and edamame beans are soaked in honey, making them plump and moist. The edamame beans are about 3cm in size, with honey seeping into the center of each bean. The chestnut sweet potatoes are a deep golden color, with a smooth and sticky texture. They are filled with small, moist chestnuts that match perfectly with the sweet syrup. One bite and I'm in the New Year's spirit! The sweet red bean soup has plump, shiny red beans, with a slightly thin soup. The sweetness is just right, making it easy to eat without leaving any residue in your mouth. Dishes like black beans and chestnut sweet potatoes are only eaten once a year, but I'm already immersed in the New Year's atmosphere.

So many delicious things (´艸｀) at the Fukuya Spring Delicious Food Festival @ Eitaro Main Store. Sakura Daifuku and Strawberry Daifuku. I've been feeling under the weather since last night and can hardly move... Trying to distract myself, I sat in front of the computer, but I feel so bad, I'm completely useless. The medicine isn't working at all... In this state, I want to go to the hospital, but driving is dangerous, and I don't have the confidence to take the bus... Since tomorrow is the scheduled appointment day, I plan to have someone take me. Until today (or was it yesterday?), the "Fukuya Spring Delicious Food Festival" was taking place. I couldn't leave with just eating in or taking out side dishes, so I also bought some sweets. I bought the Sakura Daifuku and Strawberry Daifuku from Eitaro Main Store. The "Strawberry Daifuku" has a faint sakura aroma in the mochi, and the red bean paste has a subtle salty taste. The strawberries are juicy and have a satisfying size. I really like the slightly salty taste, so it was quite delicious and different from the usual strawberry daifuku I eat. The "Sakura Daifuku" has sakura bean paste with a taste of cherry blossom leaves. It's exactly like eating "sakura mochi." The shape is a "daifuku," but the taste is reminiscent of "sakura mochi." This time, I went aiming for the cream bread from "Pao," a handmade bread and cake shop, but when I saw the words "thaw from frozen," I decided not to buy it... Personally, I don't like "thawed cream" in cream bread. This time, I chose Japanese sweets and bought them back, and I was able to enjoy them deliciously, getting a taste of spring ahead of time.