Tsuruya Yoshinobu is a famous confection shop, established in Kyoto in 1803. We didn't go to Kyoto to enjoy this special shop. There is one in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. The Tokyo shop does not have a garden, but it does have a bar where you get to sit and watch them make your confection right in front of your eyes.
This sounded like a memorable activity right up my alley. We arrived at Tsuruya Yoshinobu as soon as it opened, because we heard it can be a long wait if you go too late. There was only one group in front of us, so the wait wasn't bad at all.
When we sat at the bar, we were able to get a close-up look at the 4 options of confections, known as Kyo-gashi. Each confection represents symbols of the season. We could choose from a hydrangea accented with rain, a rolling leaf dropped by weevils, a rosa chinesesis, or a clematis flower.
Each confection is created to be matched perfectly with the wonderful taste of matcha. The bright green tea is a famous symbol of Japanese edible delights. Since the treats are not very sweet, they go very nicely with the slightly bitter tea.
My husband, son, friend, and I watched intently as the masters deftly molded each beautiful piece. It was so interesting to see them create each delectable confection.
I chose to eat the clematis. It was the only one that offered a choice between smooth or chunky anko (red bean paste) in the center. I selected the smooth, as it just seemed to fit the flower better.
My friend, who has celiac, could only eat one of the confections. She was happy to enjoy her matcha while munching on the hydrangea.
My son decided he wanted to eat the rose.
My husband happily chose the rolled leaf.
I noticed when it was time to eat that we all automatically cut tiny bites and really savored the whole experience.
We all felt like we were experiencing something so traditional and special. It is definitely a very Japanese experience.
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