Chocolate is a must-have for Valentine’s Day, but it needn’t be fussy. Instead of melting bars for chocolate-covered strawberries or spending money on store-bought bon bons, give your valentine an intensely rich double chocolate loaf cake with a plush, velvety crumb. Inspiration for this cake came to us by way… Read
Spring is coming, which means it’s time for Starbucks to give us a sneak peek at its first Sakura Frappuccino for 2025 — a pink delight called the White Peach and Cherry Blossom Warabi Mochi. According to the chain, this new drink has a spring-like, white peach flavor that combines freshness with elegant sweetness. Designed around a… Read
High-end cuisine will be a major highlight of the Osaka Expo's food lineup, sure to entice foodies as the event draws over 200,000 daily visitors from nearly 160 countries. The Osaka Expo, set for April 13 to Oct 13 on the artificial island of Yumeshima, will feature a 30,000 yen… Read
With sakura season fast approaching, stores around Japan are getting ahead of the game by releasing limited-edition cherry blossom treats. One of the first big names to get in on the act is fast food chain Lotteria, who recently unveiled three new menu items, in what they’re calling Lotteria’s Sakura Sweets Fair.… Read
Scientists say they've cracked the code for boiling the perfect egg. It's a recipe you can test for yourself — though the timing isn't ideal with soaring egg prices in the United States from a bird flu outbreak. The perfect boiled egg has a velvety yolk paired with a soft,… Read
Traditionally, in Japan it’s women who give gifts to men on Valentine’s Day, and the customary gift is chocolate. Not every guy has a sweet tooth, though, and even among those who do, chocolate might not be their dessert of choice. So for those looking to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a… Read
Have you ever felt like Alice in Wonderland when visiting a Japanese supermarket? Or found yourself spending more time than you have staring at a package, trying to figure out what the heck you’re looking at? Been there, done that. Don’t feel embarrassed — we’ve all made at least one prayer to… Read
You know you've said it. We all have. “Mmm, that looks so delicious — I want to try some!” That's because when it comes to what we eat, it's not just a matter of taste. What foods and drinks look like — the colors we see before the first morsels… Read
In the world of Japanese sweets, one of the most divisive flavors is mint chocolate/chocolate mint. See? There are even multiple opinions on what the name of it should be, to go along with the argument over whether it tastes great or is a discordant, unpalatable clash of sweet and chilling… Read
Matsuya is one of Japan’s largest and most popular gyudon (beef bowl) chains, offering quick and tasty meals at very affordable prices. Matsuya was even quicker than its rival Yoshinoya to start offering more variety in its menu items and seasonings, and an example of that is the trio of sauces Matsuya… Read