"The third installment is here. This time, I purchased the limited edition 'Kyogense Orange' from Tsuruya Yoshinobu, which is only available from July to August. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the iconic 'Kyogense' sweet, Tsuruya Yoshinobu has been releasing limited edition flavors since January, with the latest being the 'Kyogense Orange' featuring orange in the sweet bean paste. While some may find it unusual for a traditional Japanese confectionery to use a Western ingredient like orange, I wasn't too surprised as I knew they had previously used ingredients like blueberry and pistachio in their sweets. The appearance of the 'Kyogense Orange' is similar to the 'Kyogense Yuzu' sold from January to March, with a light-colored swirl of sweet bean paste. As for the taste, the addition of orange peel enhances the flavor, creating a refined sweetness with a distinct orange aroma. According to the store's website, the orange flavor will be available until August, and in September, the popular roasted green tea flavor from April to June will make a comeback. Feel free to check it out for yourself."

Kyogensei is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and I heard that they are releasing limited edition Kyogensei every 3 months, in addition to their year-round Azuki bean paste. I decided to try both the regular Azuki bean paste and the limited edition flavors. The limited edition Kyogensei flavors are as follows: January to March - Yuzu, April to June - Hojicha, July to September - Orange, October to December - Coffee. I have purchased the regular Azuki bean paste before, which has a delicate sweetness and elegant texture. It is rich and pairs well with coffee. The Orange flavor I bought for July to September is made with white bean paste and studded with orange peel, creating a refreshing and subtly sweet product with a spreading orange aroma in your mouth. The harmony between the white bean paste and orange peel is exquisite, making it a perfect product for this summer. I definitely want to buy the Kyogensei Orange again. It was so delicious that I would love for it to become a regular item.

"Tsuruya Yoshinobu" is one of the Japanese confectionery shops that I often visit personally, and on this day, I found their new products: pistachio-flavored manju and kuzu-kiri jelly perfect for summer. Yoshinobu has had a traditional manju called "Tsumugi Uta" before, inspired by Nishijin weaving, a traditional craft in Nishijin where their main store is located. Previously, it only had strained sweet bean paste with chopped chestnuts, but the one I purchased this time had a new pistachio paste. It combines pistachios with white sweet bean paste, adding a refined taste with the sweetness of the white bean paste and the nutty richness of pistachios. On the other hand, the "TSURU Cool Cool" kuzu-kiri jelly comes in a container with kuzu-kiri and a refreshing jelly that you serve in a bowl. It comes in four flavors: yuzu, red shiso, green plum, and mandarin orange. Personally, I found the red shiso flavor particularly intriguing as it is not commonly found elsewhere, and the balance of sweetness and acidity is quite interesting. While the pistachio manju seems to have become a regular item, the kuzu-kiri jelly is a limited-time offer until mid-August. Considering this, if you are interested, I recommend visiting the shop before then.

While wandering around the first floor of Takashimaya in Namba, I came across a very refreshing looking yokan called "Aokaede". The shop is called Tsuruya Yoshinobu. The yokan is covered with a transparent kuzu and has beautiful blue maple leaves on top, giving it a very cool and refreshing appearance. Price: 1296 yen. It is a refreshing summer confectionery with a fresh blue maple leaf reflected in a mountain stream. Sales period: mid-April to mid-May.

I found Halloween dried sweets at the basement 1st floor of Takashimaya in Namba. It's interesting that nowadays there are various Halloween limited sweets not only Western-style but also Japanese-style. I imagine there must have been some twists and turns for traditional Japanese sweet shops to sell Halloween products. However, if they see it as an opportunity, I would like to praise the Japanese sweets that have been thoroughly devised from scratch to enjoy Halloween to the fullest. At this shop, there are two types of sweets: fresh and dried, both with authentic designs. Unfortunately, the fresh sweets were sold out by the time I arrived after 6 pm, so I bought the dried sweets. They recommended carrying them flat and were careful when wrapping the box. When I opened it, I found that despite having three trays, it seemed messy. The "Happy Halloween" dried sweets assortment costs 864 yen (tax included). Inside the small box, there are 4 pumpkin shapes, 5 ghosts with different expressions, and 1 bat. They are very small but cute shapes. The ghosts have a standard dried sweet taste, crispy and melting. The pumpkins have a slightly sticky taste and melt quickly. The bat is thin and crispy, so it disappeared quickly. It's a very heartwarming Japanese sweet. My family enjoyed eating and having conversations together. I realized once again that Japanese sweets have this effect. It's a wonderful Halloween treat. (Translated on 2017.10.27)

Now in Namba, at Takashimaya Osaka store. I ended up making a post in the middle of the night, reluctantly. It was for registering a new store, and I posted about the Kuri Warabi for 259 yen including tax. It's made with warabi, black bean paste, and candied chestnuts. It's great for gifts, and the taste is different from regular water yokan with azuki beans. It's surprising that it doesn't have Tsuruya Yoshinobu's name on it. There are some ridiculous stores out there, right? Thanks for the meal! August 2015. Nankaihawks1's gourmet guide. Nankaihawks1's blog.

I bought a limited edition hydrangea yokan for my paternal grandmother's memorial service on June 30th. It is a two-layer yokan with hydrangea jelly and red bean paste, which looks beautiful and perfect for this season. The combination of the elegant sweetness of the red bean paste and the hydrangea jelly is excellent! It was satisfying and delicious. Thank you for the meal.