東京の桜が咲いた！
ワタシが一年でいちばん好きな季節がやってまいりました。
昨日土曜日はまた冬に戻ったように寒くて外出するのにダウンを着てしまった。今日は晴れたけど肌寒かった。と、桜の咲く季節のあるある話。
やっと晴れたので和菓子(道明寺と桜餅)を買ってきた。春の和菓子はピンク色なのでとってもキレイ。
A Chilly Spring Day and Some Sweet Treats
Yesterday, Saturday, felt like winter had made a surprise comeback—it was so cold I ended up pulling out my down coat just to go outside. Today, the sun came out, but it was still a bit chilly. Classic early spring weather, right? It always seems to mess with your wardrobe decisions!
This time of year always reminds me of one of those “spring in Japan” moments—cherry blossoms in bloom, a mix of warm and cold days, and of course, seasonal sweets.
Since the weather was nice today, I treated myself to some traditional Japanese sweets: Domyoji and Sakura Mochi. Spring wagashi are always so pretty with their soft pink colors—it’s like you can taste the season.
Although Sakura Mochi and Domyoji might look similar at first glance—both are pink, filled with sweet red bean paste, and wrapped in a salted cherry leaf—they’re actually quite different in texture and origin.
Sakura Mochi, which you’ll often find in eastern Japan, is made with a thin, crêpe-like layer of mochi wrapped around the filling. The dough is made from wheat flour, so it has this smooth, soft texture that almost melts in your mouth.
Domyoji, on the other hand, is more common in western Japan and made from coarsely ground glutinous rice called Domyoji-ko. That gives it a chewier, slightly grainy texture that’s completely different from the smoothness of Sakura Mochi.
They’re both delicious in their own way—and which one you find depends a lot on where you are in Japan!