Fill your mouth with happiness! 5 recommended strawberry sweets for gifts and souvenirs [Fukushima Prefecture]

For many people, seeing the word "strawberry" brings back happy childhood memories

That sweet and sour taste and that cute pink appearance... strawberry sweets have a mysterious power to make your heart flutter

This time, we've picked out some strawberry-themed sweets from Fukushima Prefecture to enjoy during your tea time

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Dorayaki Yoshidaya "Strawberry Dorayaki"

Yoshidaya Co., headquartered in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, is a Japanese confectionery manufacturer whose main product is dorayaki.

In addition to selling Japanese sweets in-store, some stores also have cafes where you can enjoy lunch plates and sweets

There is a wide variety of dorayaki, the main type of bean paste. In addition to the standard bean paste, bean paste butter, and custard, there are also fresh sweet types that need to be refrigerated, so it can be hard to decide which one to choose. This time, I tried the fresh sweet type "Strawberry Dorayaki."

The "Strawberry Dorayaki" is a sandwich of strawberry whipped cream and strawberry pulp. The whipped cream is fluffy and light. The milky smoothness is complemented by the refreshing acidity of the strawberries

The dorayaki crust is also fluffy and moist. Although it looks thin, it has a chewy texture and goes perfectly with the cream. The sweetness is generally modest, making it lighter than a cake. It is a gentle Japanese sweet that gives you a slight feeling of spring excitement

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Kashiwaya "Flower Language Strawberry"

Hana Kotoba " series by Kashiwaya Co., Ltd., famous for its thin-skinned manju

This baked confectionery is made with a chewy, thin skin made from rice flour and filled with a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth bean paste. The plain blue packaged version is filled with vanilla milk bean paste, but the one we're introducing today is the strawberry flavor, which comes in an eye-catching pink package

When you open the package, you'll be greeted by a cute, plump, round shape

The strawberry bean paste, made with strawberries from Fukushima Prefecture, has a rich, milky flavor with a refreshing strawberry acidity. It melts in your mouth very smoothly, with a silky texture that crumbles into pieces, making it addictive. The texture of the wrapper that encases the bean paste adds an accent to the deliciousness, making you want to eat several

Both the packaging (individually wrapped and in a decorative box) is gorgeous, and the shelf life is long, at 30 days from the date of production, making it a great gift or souvenir

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Tanbaya Persimmon Yokan Honpo "Strawberry Daifuku"

Tamba-ya is a very long-established Japanese confectionery shop founded in 1643

The confectionery production began in the castle town of the lord of Nihonmatsu and continues to this day. Their signature product persimmon yokan , is a luxurious item made with plenty of dried persimmons from Fukushima Prefecture.

This time we will introduce strawberry daifuku (white bean paste) .

The white bean paste is said to be less sweet than the black bean paste. They are sold in packs of four, but when sold individually, they are wrapped in a cute drawstring bag like the one in the picture

When you cut into the half, you can feel the popping of fresh strawberries. They are large and very juicy. The contrast between the white and red of the cross section is also vivid

The first thing that strikes you when you put it in your mouth is the juiciness of the strawberry. It's neither too sour nor too sweet, and the juice oozes out with every bite

You can tell that the strawberries are carefully selected for their texture and flavor. The white bean paste melts in your mouth and has a very refined flavor. It pairs perfectly with the strawberries, creating a synergistic effect that doubles the deliciousness. The thin mochi skin that gently encases the bean paste and strawberries is also surprisingly smooth and melts in your mouth. This is a masterpiece that shows the skill of a master craftsman

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Fruit Peaks "Melting Cookies Cao"

Next on our list is "Melting Cookies Kao" made by Fruit Peaks, a company that specializes in sweets made with fruits carefully selected by fruit vendors

These cookies are sold in packs of three, containing one of each of the three flavors: strawberry, chocolate banana, and lemon. The box also has a luxurious design, making it a great gift

The secret to these cookies' melt-in-your-mouth texture is the chocolate kneaded into the dough. The strawberry flavor uses white chocolate and strawberry chocolate. The texture is moist, and when you put it in your mouth, the dough changes to a creamy texture, melting away while leaving a smooth aftertaste that includes the sweet and sour taste of strawberries

It's neither chocolate nor a cookie, but a "melt-in-your-mouth cookie cao," which is why it's so luxurious. It's also recommended as a reward sweet treat for a day when something good has happened

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Sanmankoku "Chocolate Pirouette Strawberry"

Fukushima specialty confectionery " Mamadooru ," is selling "Chocolat Pirouette," a chocolate-flavored madeleine, for a limited time only.

The chocolate-flavored dough is coated in chocolate. It comes in three flavors: bitter, white, and strawberry. The round shape and the color contrast with the chocolate make it both cute and impressive

The madeleines have a gentle flavor with a slightly bitter taste. The texture is soft and moist without being dry. They go well with a milky cafe latte. The strawberry chocolate on top is slightly sweet and sour and melts very smoothly in your mouth. The overall sweetness is gentle, so you won't get bored of eating them until the very end

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Enjoy a fun time with strawberry sweets

This time we introduced delicious strawberry sweets from Fukushima Prefecture

Each sweet can be purchased at each company's store or online store, as well as at train stations and product shops within the prefecture. These gorgeous-looking strawberry sweets make a great souvenir or gift. Why not try some while experiencing Fukushima's seasonal produce?

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