I bought some grilled rice cakes. They had a delicious sweet and savory flavor. The store had chairs and you could get free hot tea. It was convenient for taking a quick break. The store was crowded with customers buying Yatsuhashi.

Bitterness and sweetness, refreshing taste at Honke Nishio Yatsuhashi Shimizuzaka Store (Japanese sweets at Kiyomizu Temple) on September 18, 2022, Sun at 15:12. September is halfway through, but the hot days continue. A moderate break is necessary for a daytime stroll in the city. In August, I visited Kiyomizu Temple for the Chinden pilgrimage, but it was so hot that I felt like collapsing. I walked around the surprisingly large temple grounds and got really exhausted. Let's take a short break. Head to Honke Nishio Yatsuhashi, located right outside. At this shop, you can sample tea and Yatsuhashi while choosing souvenirs. There are various flavors, which is interesting. Also, they have smaller sizes that can be a fun souvenir or snack for yourself. This time, I tried their green tea soft serve available at the store. Ah, blissfully cool! The green tea with a mild sweetness has a rich tea flavor and a refreshing taste. The sweetness of the soft serve adds to the deliciousness. It's cold, sweet, and refreshing, making you feel energized. It's delightful to find matcha available everywhere in Kyoto. And it's delicious too. Feeling completely energized, I also visited Rokudo-mairi afterwards.

At the entrance of Kiyomizu Temple, there was a lively call inviting people in, and young folks were drawn in. Among them, is the recommended store for children①. You can quickly buy items at the front, and if you go further back, there are benches where they also serve tea. It has that classic Kyoto souvenir shop vibe! I bought small Nikkis and dry Yatsuhashi. The Nikki one was stretchy with plenty of sweet red bean paste. The Nikki flavor was strong, more intense than cinnamon. If you're not a fan of Nikki, they have other options like chocolate banana too! The shape was triangular, which felt more familiar. The dry Yatsuhashi came in a small bag with 3 pieces. It was thick and had a crunchy texture with a strong cinnamon flavor. The impact of both the fresh and dry ones was stronger than the original Nishio brand. However, because the flavor was so intense, it could get overwhelming after a while. The way they market the products, trying out new flavors, targeting a younger audience, was clever. They emphasize the factory-made feel over the handmade touch, which might appeal more for souvenirs that can last longer. Personally, I prefer the elegant, traditional craftsmanship of the original Nishio brand. The difference in taste is a matter of preference and mood. Thank you for the meal. Below is the luxurious lineup of the original Nishio brand's red bean paste-filled fresh Yatsuhashi! Refer to their website for more details! Nikki - the classic choice. It was intense. Matcha - when you think of Kyoto, you think of matcha. Plum - apparently a sweet and sour plum paste, only available in winter. Mandarin Orange - the skin is orange. Also a winter exclusive. Fully ripe mandarin orange! Peach - only available in summer! Amazing, peach paste Yatsuhashi! Strawberry - currently on sale! (I didn't buy it) It's supposed to have a popping texture! Sakura - also available now! The cherry blossoms at Kiyomizu Temple were in full bloom and beautiful! Ramune - for summer. Yatsuhashi beyond fruits. It's refreshing. Hard to imagine. Chocolate Banana - I saw it! (But didn't buy it) The skin was yellow! Chocolate - it's supposed to have chocolate paste. Chocolate Mint - for all the chocolate mint lovers around the world! Roasted Sweet Potato - supposed to have a grainy texture of sweet potato. Chestnut - autumn, oh, and of course, roasted sweet potato is also autumn exclusive. It's supposed to have a chestnut texture. Mango - Mango?! The tropical scent floating in the Kyoto streets. Green Apple - not just apple, but green apple. The dough is green. When is the season for this? Christmas Limited Edition Bitter Chocolate Strawberry - seems very Christmas-like. Intense Matcha - for those who can't be satisfied with regular matcha. Black Sesame White Sesame - Sesamin. Lemon Tea - Yatsuhashi with tea! Like lemon tea? Sounds good! Chocolate Milk Caramel - I like caramel flavor. Hmm, a caramel-flavored Yatsuhashi. Blueberry - for eye fatigue. Summer Mandarin Orange - different from the winter mandarin orange flavor. Nightingale - Nightingale paste made with white beans and green peas! Oh, this one is intriguing. (Finally found a Yatsuhashi flavor that interests me after writing all of this) Halloween Limited Edition Pumpkin, Bitter Chocolate, Strawberry - a set of three! You can only enjoy the pumpkin Yatsuhashi during Halloween! Salt - for summer salt intake. Phew, that was tiring. Isn't it too many? And they seem to keep adding more. So, which one will you choose?

At Kyoto Station, I was interested in the Yatsuhashi crepe from Nishio because the crepe batter is made with rice flour. When I visited Kiyomizu Temple, on the way back along the slope, I found that they also sold it at Nishio! I was hungry at that time, but it was 9 AM and they were still preparing the crepes. I had to give up and head towards Heian Shrine, but due to my poor sense of direction, I kept going in the wrong direction and ended up 30 minutes behind schedule for lunch. I decided to give up at Yasaka Shrine, thinking I had gone quite far, but when I saw Yasaka Shrine in front of me, I was shocked (laughs). So, I turned back to get the crepe. They had matcha, chocolate, and seasonal limited edition chestnut flavors, each for 450 yen. The chestnut flavor was heavy and filled with cream! The batter with Yatsuhashi was a bit thick, and the chewy texture of the rice flour batter was amazing! As for the cream... I was surprised to find out it was plant-based when I thought it was gross, but then I saw it was made with soy milk... Soy milk equals soy equals plant, right... I'm not a fan of the unique film-like texture and greasiness of plant-based whip cream... And there was so much of it that I started to get heartburn from just the cream. When I finally reached the chestnut, which was about a quarter of the crepe, it had a pretty sweet taste. The crushed Yatsuhashi added a crunchy texture that was too overwhelming. The amount was too much and it was too sweet, so unless you're a big fan of sweet things, it might be tough... After eating about half, I suddenly felt exhausted... For a more enjoyable experience, sharing is recommended. Oh, if only there was vanilla ice cream or soy milk ice cream added to make it cold and refreshing without the heaviness of that cream, and if the chestnut was a bit less sweet, it would have been really delicious... Oh well... Inside the store, you can try various flavors of raw Yatsuhashi, and they show the process of making raw Yatsuhashi on a video.

After finally navigating through the traffic jam in the Nishinaka Expressway and arriving in Kyoto around 3 p.m., I wondered where to go next. I asked my mother, who had previously had knee problems, how her legs were feeling. She said they were fine, so we decided to visit Kiyomizu-dera. This temple requires climbing a steep slope, which was tough for me due to my heavy weight. On our way back from Kiyomizu-dera, my mother mentioned she wanted to buy souvenirs for the patchwork and yoga classes she attends. We stopped at a shop halfway up the slope, where they offered free cold tea at the entrance and guided us forcefully to the back of the store. Although the tactic seemed pushy, it was convenient for me after the exhausting climb. My mother quickly decided on her purchases, but my wife took longer to choose. I realized that if we spent too much time here, we wouldn't make it to our next destination, Kinkaku-ji, before closing time. So, I instructed my wife to buy three items quickly and we left the store. We arrived at Kinkaku-ji just 30 minutes before closing, and even the parking attendant warned us that the parking lot would close at 5:10 p.m. We managed to make it just in time. We had some yatsuhashi, which we bought for breakfast, and found it soft and delicious. I used to not think much of it, but now I find it tasty - a sign of aging, perhaps?

Last week, my oldest son went to Kyoto with his friends and brought back souvenirs for me. Before he left, I asked him if he wanted anything as a souvenir, and he said to just bring back something delicious. This time, he bought two souvenirs for me. One of them is the Nishio Yatsuhashi from the Shimizuzaka store. Wait a minute, the other souvenir is from Kyoto Baum, and this Nishio Yatsuhashi from the Nishio Yatsuhashi store! This combination is exactly the same as the souvenirs my eldest daughter brought back in February when she went to Kyoto! It's funny how that worked out. My son got mad when I pointed it out, saying not to complain about the souvenirs he brought back. Well, he has a point. I'll enjoy them anyway. When I opened the box, there were classic cinnamon and matcha flavored Nishio Yatsuhashi inside. Cinnamon is already a classic flavor that everyone must have tried before. It had a strong cinnamon taste and the sweet bean paste was quite noticeable. Next, the matcha flavor was much lighter, especially after eating the cinnamon one. It balanced out the strong flavor of the cinnamon and tasted delicious when eaten together. Nishio Yatsuhashi is a popular souvenir from Kyoto, and it's a must-buy for anyone visiting the city.

When it comes to souvenirs from Kyoto, it's all about Yatsuhashi, right? They're delicious when baked, but also amazing when eaten raw! However, they don't last long. That chewy texture is irresistible! Nowadays, you can find them in various flavors, but the simple peppermint flavor is the best. This shop was established in 1689, so it's the original store. The Yatsuhashi here was delicious. Thank you for the treat. Next time, I'll try the chocolate Yatsuhashi. This shop is located near Kiyomizu Temple. There seems to be another shop nearby too.

A shop near Kiyomizu-dera that sells West Otsu Yatsuhashi. The staff greets you cheerfully and offers warm Uji tea during this cold season. Nowadays, there are various flavors of Yatsuhashi available, and they also offer small packs which are great for souvenirs for multiple people at a reasonable price. They provide samples for tasting, which is essential for me when choosing souvenirs. I ended up buying seven different flavors like cinnamon, matcha, and salt for 250 yen each. The texture is chewy and delicious. The black sesame flavor was okay, but the chocolate was interesting to try.

The original creator of Yatsuhashi is said to be Seigoin Yatsuhashi Sohonten according to the Yatsuhashi Thrifty School Origin Theory, while the Honten Nishio Yatsuhashi is said to have created and sold Yatsuhashi according to the legend. Both companies were established in the same year, 1689 (Genroku 2). This time, we are talking about the Honten Nishio Yatsuhashi Shimizuzaka Store located along the approach to Kiyomizu Temple. When I was young, Yatsuhashi seemed to mainly consist of hard-baked Yatsuhashi with cinnamon flavor, soft raw Yatsuhashi, and raw Yatsuhashi with sweet bean paste. However, nowadays, there is a wide variety of flavors available such as matcha, black sesame, white sesame, plum, mandarin orange, peach, strawberry, cherry blossom, ramune, chocolate banana, chocolate, baked sweet potato, chestnut, green apple, blueberry, mango, summer mandarin, salt, and nightingale. Inside the store, you can enjoy complimentary tea and sample most of the Yatsuhashi varieties sold during this season.

I received a souvenir from a senior couple♡ They drove to Kyoto for a day trip and had a lot of fun, and I heard all about it. The souvenir they gave me was these Yatsuhashi (*^ω^*) I love Yatsuhashi, so I was really happy♡ I love pairing Yatsuhashi with bitter green tea, it's irresistible♡ Surprisingly, these Yatsuhashi weren't too cinnamon-y, so my husband found them easy to eat and they disappeared in no time. They were really delicious(*^ω^*)