© Provided by Food & WinePhoto by Jessica Pettway / Food and Prop Styling by Miako Katoh
Through a riot of texture, color, and precision married with ingredients like miso, red bean, and yuzu, Japanese confectioneries capture our imaginations and our taste buds wherever we encounter them. These six Japanese-inspired confections, ranging from chocolate bonbons to luscious cheesecakes and, of course, some truly magical mochi, draw on their makers' heritage and childhood memories. Call it the ultimate indulgence, but when it comes to dessert time in Japan, we're all just kids in a candy shop.
© Photo by Jessica Pettway / Food and Prop Styling by Miako KatohWhen you can't travel to Japan in person, these confections offer a little bit of a trip all on their own.
© Provided by Food & WinePhoto by Jessica Pettway / Food and Prop Styling by Miako Katoh
These iridescent, hand-painted bonbons from chef Elle Lei are filled with memorable flavors such as milk tea, guava cheesecake, and mango-passion fruit caramel. There's not a single dud in the box of 24. $69 at sugoisweets.com
© Provided by Food & WinePhoto by Jessica Pettway / Food and Prop Styling by Miako Katoh
Think mochi, sugar-coated fruits, sweet red bean paste-stuffed cakes, and more delivered to your doorstep. We recommend ordering the variety box of their seasonal treats to sample the whole lot of offerings. from $26 at kitchoan.com
Inspired by desserts from his childhood trips to Tokyo to visit his grandmother, Ken Romaniszyn's Lady M Confections makes delicate yet towering dessert centerpieces: mille crêpes in flavors like green tea, chestnut, and pistachio. $95, at ladym.com
© Provided by Food & WinePhoto by Jessica Pettway / Food and Prop Styling by Miako Katoh
Pastry chef Tomoko Kato's crowd-favorite chewy mochi stuffed with truffle-like fillings in flavors such as fudgy Earl Grey chocolate ganache, green tea, and black sesame make for an explosive combination of gooey textures and bright flavors. $59 at goldbelly.com
© Provided by Food & WinePhoto by Jessica Pettway / Food and Prop Styling by Miako Katoh
To develop flavors like matcha-almond-yuzu and miso-almond for her geometric chocolates, Michiko Marron-Kibbey draws from her Japanese heritage and a stint studying pastry in Paris. $12 at deuxcranes.com
Basuku Cheesecakes
© Provided by Food & WinePhoto by Jessica Pettway / Food and Prop Styling by Miako Katoh
Borrowing technique from Basque cheesecakes as well as jiggly, soufflé-style Japanese cheesecakes, Basuku has achieved cult status. They often sell out almost instantly, and nationwide shipping is in the works. $35 at @basukucheesecakes on Instagram