Dorayaki Intro
Dorayaki is a Japanese confection that is famous for being the favorite food of Doraemon.
With its moist and sweet pancake-like buns combined with the delicious azuki bean paste, it's also one of my favorite Wagashi! You can easily find dorayaki in Singapore as well.
Today I'll be diving into this popular sweet.
What is a Dorayaki
Dorayaki is a traditional Japanese sweets.
It's made from two soft pancake-shaped castella gently wrapping sweet azuki bean paste.
The gentle sweetness and soft, moist texture make a truly delicious sweet.
The name of Dorayaki
No, Dorayaki is not named after Doraemon! It's said to come from the gong, the metal disk-shaped instrument. The gong in Japanese is "Dora." Hence, the Dorayaki is something like the "gong-bake."
It's unclear whether this is because the pancakes look similar to the shape of a gong.
Another theory is that the early dorayaki was baked on a gong.
In western Japan, dorayaki is sometimes called "Mikasa."
There is a "Mikasa" mountain in the Nara prefecture of Japan, and the moderate slopes of this mountain resemble the shape of the dorayaki.
If you are around the Kansai area, look for the name "Mikasa" if you're looking for a Dorayaki.
What category of Wagashi is Dorayaki?
Wagashi is categorized into three types.
The "Namagashi," consists of 30% or more water.
The "Han-Namagashi," which consists of between 10% to 30% water
The "Higashi," consists of less than 10% water.
Dorayaki is a "Namagashi".
It is further sub-categorized under "Yakimono" as the outer bun layer is baked.
Dorayaki Day
In 2008, the 4th of April became Dorayaki day.
The 4th of April (the 4th month) is combining two fours.
Although the number four is considered an ominous number in many cultures (including to a certain extent in Japan as well), combining two "number fours" can be read as "Shi-awase," which means happy in Japanese.
Because eating Dorayaki makes people happy, the 4th of April became Dorayaki day.
Eating Dorayaki in Singapore
You can find several dorayaki options in the snack section of supermarkets such as Don Don Donki.
However, I don't recommend these too much. The quality is shallow.
I've tried the Dorayaki at Minamoto Kicchoan, which was good. I recommend the dorayaki here if you have a chance.
Let me know if there are any other good Dorayaki places in Japan.