Sweet Ayu
Kotobukido, in Ningyocho, specializes in delicate Kyogashi sweets that always fascinate and lure me to stop and stare in the window. They have such simple but eye-catching displays of seasonal items. This time of the year, they feature Ayu or sweetfish. One of these fishy looking sweets is like a rolled pancake made with flour. The second, the one I bought, is made of sweet nerikiri paste and looks just like a grilled fish.
Usually these are just beautiful to look, but when I tried to leave today, the aroma of cinnamon coming from the shop was just irresistible! So, I picked up this sweet grilled Ayu and Koganeimo to enjoy at home. Their Koganeimo is from a sweet bean paste, colored yellow with turmeric and coated with a very fine cinnamon sugar powder. It looks just like tiny sweet potato golden inside. I ate mine before taking a picture, so until Te-chan gets home to eat his, here’s Koganeimo in the wrapper! Too bad the aroma cannot be sent over the Internet!
Shop Information: Kotobukido Two kinds of Ayu: Flour pancake top, Koganeimo
Address: 2-1-4 Ningyocho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku
TEL:03(3666)4804
neriki bottom



Is it a fish or is it candy or a treat?
Posted by David Vasta | June 24, 2009, 11:56 pmIt looks so real, doesn’t it? This grilled fish is soft sweets with chocolate truffle like soft texture. Or, I guess it is similar to marzipan.
They used bean paste mixed with malt syrup and rice flour and shaped it like Ayu. Then, it is glazed with egg york. Finally, they torched the top to give that burned look to this treat.
Posted by Et-chan | June 25, 2009, 9:13 amOh. Interesting. I have an affliction. I can’t stand anything that is seafood. The even worse part of the affliction is I LOVE JAPAN! Naturally having a disdain for seafood and living in Japan would not work, or I would be very skinny.
Thanks for the explanation. Love your site. It’s interesting and, to me, gross at time. All those funky fish.
I have looked for help for my problem and can’t seem to find any.
Posted by David Vasta | July 21, 2009, 1:23 amThanks, David. I will try not to be too descriptive when it comes to funky fish! Tasting looking kobe beef work for you, though? http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/tonymcnicol/gallery/Kobe-Beef-June-2009/G0000SNVXoF7_PaA/
Posted by Et-chan | July 23, 2009, 9:14 am