One of the many reasons that make Japan such a fun place for us to return is their strong emphasis on and celebration of the seasons and its ingredients. So, visits during the different seasons are unlike each other and will introduce you to different foods as well as different (and spectacular scenery).
This time it’s Honke Nishio Yatsuhashi Bitter Chocolate Yuzu and Orange Annama Yatsuhashi. It’s a limited edition for the winter season, winter being the time for citrus fruits.
The two flavours are aimed at an adult palate and come in a box with a line drawing of a geisha.
And inside are two trays. Unlike their standard annama yatsuhashi, though, there’s nothing identifying which of the trays is the yuzu or the orange bitter chocolate.
Bitter Chocolate Yuzu
Each box comes with a tray of 5 pieces of bitter chocolate yuzu annama yatsuhashi.
Each piece is triangular with a deep brown colour, a red bean filling flavoured with chocolate and yuzu peel, and dusted with rice flour.
The sweet smell of chocolate came through on opening. Upon tasting, the yatsuhashi has a gentle sweetness of cinnamon sugar with a soft, mochi-like texture. Refreshing notes of yuzu peel came through brightly on reaching the red bean paste before receding mid-bite as the richness of chocolate developed mid-bite and leaves a bittersweet finish.
Bitter Chocolate Orange
If I mention that the yuzu was available for purchase only as a box set with the orange flavour, it’s obvious the latter was a collateral interest, but this bitter chocolate orange annama yatsuhashi was a truly pleasant surprise. As with the yuzu, each box also contained a tray with 5 pieces.
The triangles of the bitter chocolate flavour are near identical with a deeper brown colour, a red bean filling flavoured with chocolate and orange peel, and dusted with rice flour.
The same aroma of chocolate and cinnamon sugar taste came through initially. Yet, in contrast to the yuzu version, it’s the chocolate notes initially that came through rich and dark on reaching the red bean paste before the gentle scent of orange emerged in the body. The orange notes persist through to the finish as a citrus hint and are surprisingly pleasant despite the use of orange peel and recall the fresh sweetness of orange juice rather than the more bitter notes of orange peel in Western confectionery like Jaffas.
In both the yuzu and orange annama yatsuhashi, the earthiness of the red bean base for the chocolate adds a more substantial texture compared to a smooth chocolate paste, making for a truly enjoyable fusion of Western uses of citrus with traditional Japanese confectionery.
This Honke Nishio Yatsubashi Bitter Chocolate Yuzu and Orange Annama Yatsuhashi contained 2 packages each with 5 pieces. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Kyōto, Japan in 2018.