It’s not much of a secret that I love Japanese sweets, aka wagashi. In my free time, I go on the .jp and search out new wagashi to research and try. I spend hours pouring over websites and trying my hand at translating katakana.

The only thing that really gets me through the massive amounts of translating and finagling is the Japanese’s love of pictures. Thanks to many illustrative photos and videos, I’ve been able to cobble together the rudimentary beginnings of a wagashi cookbook. One of the first recipes I tried off the .jp was kimishigure.

Kimishigure is made from egg yolks (kimi), bean paste (shiro koshi an and aka koshi an) rice flour (joshinko), water (mizu) and sugar (johakuto). Simple, right? This particular wagashi is a bit tricky since it must crack open when it steams, otherwise, it just isn’t kimishigure.

Adding too much water or too much sugar will hamper the cracks from developing, resulting in uncracked kimishigure. I learned this fact the hard way. My first try of kimishigure ended not so well, as it was not cracked and was overcooked. However, the wagashi were still tasty and pretty, just not as tasty and pretty as they could have been.

Here’s a simple recipe for this elegant and tasty wagashi I found and tailored:

Kimishigure

• 1 2/3 cups shiro koshi an
• 1 cup plus 2 1/2 Tbls. aka koshi an
• 1/4 cup joshinko (non-glutinous rice flour)
• 2 egg yolks, beaten and divided into 3/4 and 1/4 portions
• food coloring, optional
• sarashian (anko powder), optional

1. Wrap the shiro koshi an in plastic wrap and microwave on high for four minutes. Or, heat over medium heat until piping hot and bubbly, making sure not to over dry or burn the an.

2. In the hot shiro an, mix in 3/4 of the egg yolks and blend well. Scoop hot shiro an and yolk mix onto a wax paper-lined cookie sheet and spread it around. Cover with a clean, damp cotton cloth to prevent drying and let cool 20 minutes.

3. After the shiro an is cooled, add the joshinko and remaining yolk. Mix well. Add the food coloring at this time if you’re using it, keeping in mind natural, light colors work best with wagashi. Traditionally, the kimishigure is not colored, but is simply rolled around in the sarashian for added effect. But go nuts. Own that kimishigure!

4. Evenly divide the anko and roll it into 15 balls. Set aside. Evenly divide the kimishigure dough and roll it into 15 balls.

5. In a clean palm, flatten the kimishigure dough into an even round. Place a ball of anko in the round and carefully wrap the anko with the round. Make sure the dough is of an even thickness around the anko center to ensure proper cracking. I shaped mine into ovals and rounds, but you can choose a more traditional route and simply make round balls.

6. Coat each ball with sarashian, if using, patting the powder lightly but firmly into the dough.

7. Line a steamer tray with a damp cotton cloth and place the kimishigure on the cloth approximately 3/4″ apart. Steam them on high for 7-10 minutes or till they crack. Do not steam them longer than 12 minutes as they’ll get tough.

Makes 15

The flavor for kimishigure is reminiscent of fortune cookies and rice pudding and is absolutely delish. The egg yolks are the only added fat in this dessert and you can control the amount of sugar of the kimishigure either in the anko (if you make your own) or in the dough, making kimishigure a healthy dessert alternative.

You can be very creative when making kimishigure or you can take the traditional route and make classic kimishigure without all the frills. If you’re daunted by the thought of “beans as dessert”, use a piece of milk or dark chocolate in the middle instead of anko and coat the outside with cocoa for a kimishigure truffle. Believe it or not, however, the flavor of the beans from the shiro an is undetectable in kimishigure and most wagashi. I’ve found lima beans make the best shiro an for kimishigure since they taste more buttery than beany.

Give this traditional wagashi a whirl in your kitchen and let me know how yours turn out!

Difficulty:Moderate | Time:50 minutes | Ingredient Availability: Moderate

There are several varieties of Japanese rice crackers, which have have been explained before, but the main differences I’ve found in these crackers are in appearance and texture, not flavor. Sad but true.

On a very subtle level, there are different flavors, such as nori, cheese, “spicy”, wasabi, soy sauce; and even sweetened crackers. But these are very subtle and a clean palate is a must in discerning some of the flavors.

Since I’ve set myself on a quest for the most awe-inspiring sembei two years ago, I’ve been repeatedly let down. Nothing really stands out and says “OMG! Aren’t these just the best damn sembei EVA?!!”

The packaging for today’s sembei seems somehow more inviting and “mature” than other sembei bags. It seems to say, “Gimme a try; I’m different!” Rigghhht. Well, fine, since you’re only $1.99, Nagisa Age, you can come home with me, but you better live up to being a sembei apart!

While I’m not sure what Nagisa, Japanese for “beach”, has to do with crackers (perhaps an allusion due to its rippled appearance?) I do know from my culinary adventures that Age means fried. Hmmm, fried crackers…sounds promising.

The crackers look dark and crunchy; the soy sauce glaze is quite apparent. Still, even though soy as a sembei flavor has been used to death, they are fried, and since I rarely eat fried foods, this will surely be a treat, right?

Ho-hum these crackers aren’t so different as their brethren after all. The nagisa age are very crunchy- a plus- but very salty-a negative.

They’re not, bad but they’re still underwhelming. I must say, I love the texture, which is harder (however, they’re not like stale sembei, which are hard and nasty) and crisper than other crackers. The lumpy, nagisa-esque exterior adds to the pleasant texture. The soy flavor, though, is absolutely boring.

The flavor is that of any other senbei or arare, but with a much stronger emphasis on the soy and hella salty. No hint of sweet like okaki; the salt kills any other actual flavor. A picture on the back packaging suggests using these on top of noodles; seems a much better idea than eating these straight from the bag.

If I were a bar tender, I’d make sure I had a ton of these to offer customers. Cause after eating just a handful, I’m so thirsty, I’d drink just about anything to quench the parchness. Oh well, tried yet another rice cracker and wasn’t impressed. Maybe they do all taste alike.

TEXTURE: FLAVOR: APPEARANCE: PACKAGING:

Giving Nagisa Age an average of: