Kyoto Foodie: Where and what to eat in Kyoto

Wagashi: Chadango and Minazuki (茶だんご みなづき)

Minazuki is an early summer wagashi that from centuries ago commoners ate on the day that royals ate — ice.

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Wagashi: Kuromitsu Dango (黒みつだんご)

Kuromitsu Dango is a simple and tasty wagashi that combines mochi, syrupy kuromitsu and powdery kinako.

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Wagashi: More Kawaii, Father’s Day Wagashi (お父さん ありがとう)

Father’s Day, ‘Kyoto’ style. Yummy wagashi on the theme of work, fishing and love. Thanks Dad!

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Wagashi: Demachi Futaba Mame-mochi and Kuzu-manju

Demachi Futaba is one of Kyoto’s most popular shinise mochi shops, famous for tasty confections and long lines! It is common to see taxis waiting while tourists make a last minute purchase of Kyoto yummies before jumping on a bullet train and going back home. Backpacker tourists can often be [...]

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Wagashi: Suetomi Kodomo-no-hi (Children’s Day) Mochi

May 5th is Children’s Day in Japan. Two important icons for this day are the Koi-no-bori (flying carp banner) and the kabuto, or armored battle helmet worn by samurai. At Suetomi, we found some delightful and unique koi-no-bori and kabuto themed wagashi, traditional Japanese confections.

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Wagashi Series: Ryuen Rakuseki and Maccha Rakuseki (柳苑: 楽石・抹茶楽石)

Ryuen specializes in a simple and elegant wagashi that combines a center of candied kuri (chestnut) embedded in koshian (sweet azuki bean paste) with a coating of sugar and kuzu (arrow root starch), some with the addition of sugary green tea powder (maccha).
Ryuen’s wagashi is decidedly [...]

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Wagashi Series: Sentaro Rice Flour Kasutera, Soba and Wheat Manju (仙太郎)

Sentaro’s kasutera (Castella sponge cake) is a real treat! It’s sophisticated in flavor, caramelly and very mochi-mochi (soft and chewy). Sentaro’s manju, both soba (buckwheat) and wheat are excellent and unique.

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Ichigo Daifuku: Spring Has Arrived! ‘Good Fortune’ Rice Cake with Fresh Strawberry (苺大福)

Ichigo Daifuku (苺大福) is a modern wagashi (Japanese confection) that combines the traditional daifuku (大福), literally ‘great fortune’, with a fresh strawberry!
Ichigo Daifuku signifies the coming of spring as strawberries come into season at the end of winter.

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Owariya — 540 Year Old Soba Restaurant 本家尾張屋

Owariya, a purveyor to the Imperial Household, has a history that goes back over five hundred and forty years. It is the oldest noodle shop in Kyoto.
Over the centuries, Owariya has served emperors and shoguns as well as the monks of many of the temples of Kyoto.
Owariya is [...]

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Gion Koishi — Kakigori (shaved ice) in Gion (祇園小石)
Hard to believe that ’shaved ice’ could be elegant and sophisticated, so Kyoto!

Gion Koshi, ameya (candy shop) is surely the best known place in Gion, and probably Kyoto for kakigori (shaved ice). Shaved ice in Japan actually has a very long history, dating back more than a [...]

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