This is the Ichiei Foods Fukuoka Amaou An Dorayaki. It used strawberry purée from Fukuoka’s amaou strawberries. The name ‘amaou’ is a portmanteau of the words: amai (sweet), marui (round), okii (big) and umai (tasty).
Each box contained 8 individually sealed dorayaki, about 5.5 cm in diameter and 2 cm at its thickest.
The dorayaki was composed of two pancakes enveloping a core of white bean paste infused with amaou strawberry purée. A fresh and sweet strawberry fragrance was evident. Upon tasting, akin to the white peach version, the pancakes had a slightly sticky exterior that appeared to result from sugar syrup. However, the texture was dry and dense, notably lacking the light and airy quality associated with fluffy cake. Following rehydration on the palate and aided by the inner white bean paste, the pancakes adopted a more gratifying cake-like consistency. The paste itself exhibited a sleek texture, encapsulating the profound sweetness of amaou strawberries, coupled with a subtle trace of refreshing acidity. On the whole, the strawberry infusion rendered the dorayaki moderately pleasing, though its appeal was hindered by the pancakes’ less appealing texture.
This Ichiei Foods Fukuoka Amaou An Dorayaki contained 176 g (22 g x 8 pieces). It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2023.