Foreign Grocery Friday: Chew a Cherry 'Sakuranbo' in Japan
When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!
In our opinion, Japanese food can either be really ugly (wasp crackers, anyone?) or really, really pretty like these cherry bites. Called Sakuranbo, these seasonal Japanese cherry jellies are wagashi, or little treats designed to be served with tea. Often as beautifully packaged as they are presented, wagashi like the Sakuranbo can be pricey but are thoroughly tasty and enjoyable in their freshness. They are also popular hostess gifts, but just watch the expiration dates.
The taste: The jelly is very subtle and there is happily no cherry over-flavoring. It's fragrant, but tastes lightly of peach. Biting into the cherry, you'll first notice the pit and then the sweet freshness of the flesh. It's a perfectly red little Japanese cherry, and the stem nicely peeks out of the jelly for you to take ahold of.
Price: In the USA, you can find Sakuranbo at extremely specialized Japanese grocery stores for about $3.50 per piece. In Japan, a single piece will cost a little less, around 200 Yen.
Where to find them: We bought this one at the very cute little Japanese wagashi shop Minamoto Kitchoan off 5th Avenue in New York City. They also have branches in San Francisco, the Piccadilly area of London, and Singapore. In Japan, you can order up a Sakuranbo during the late spring/early summertime at almost any traditional tea shop.
Related Stories:
· Foreign Grocery Friday: Peel 'Jelly Bananas' in the Dominican Republic [Jaunted]
· Food Travel [Jaunted]
· Japan Travel [Jaunted]
[Photo: Jaunted]
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