Saturday, October 23, 2010

A Taste of the Exotic


We arrived home last night after two days in Victoria. My husband had meetings, I enjoyed time with our girls. 

One of Tim's meetings involved a Japanese gentleman who presented him with two beautifully wrapped packages. In the car on the way home yesterday, I had to open them. Hence, no photo of the wrapped gifts. I was extremely careful about not tearing the paper because it's so beautiful. 


The boxes themselves are also beautiful and sturdy - of good quality paper, and thick enough that they will last a long time. I do love boxes. The green one is embossed. 


Inside the boxes were Japanese pastries. Tim was told that one box has a two-day expiry date and that the date was on the box. Well, I've looked and there's nothing I can recognize except a telephone number. But we're assuming that the triangular pastries are the most perishable - just on a guess. 

The pastries are sweet, the dough soft, and both have a similar filling of some kind of fruit paste. We can't identify it. The triangular ones are cinnamon-flavored. Trying out new foods is fun for us, and these were very different, but very good. Anyone out there have any idea what they are called (in English?) or what they might be made of? I'd love to know.

Today I'm doing laundry, tidying the house and will maybe get to some sewing. I have quite a few projects on the go. What are you doing this October Saturday?

14 comments:

  1. Those look interesting Lorrie. I dont know what they are called, but I have eaten something similar with a fig filling.

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  2. I think but I'm not sure that the round ones are called Mochi. We've had them and they are really good.
    The paper is beautiful as well!
    Have a wonderful Pink Saturday!

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  3. What a lovely gift!
    When we were in Japan last year we ate several types of sweets that looked similar. The triangular ones look like the ones that were the most popular. They were filled with a sweetened bean curd.

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  4. They are beautifully presented...hope that you find out what they might be. You're a lot braver than I. If I can not identify it, I do not eat it. Being this way has denied me a lot of pleasure, I'm certain.

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  5. They look great! Mami, a Japanese blogger, isn't very active in blogland at the moment but if you could catch her she would certainly be able to tell you all about them! Her blog is Mami's Photo Diary - do you know her?

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  6. What a nice gift, so beautifully presented, too. I have now idea what they are. Today I'm doing laundry and I just made my first quilting pieces. Hope your day was happy.

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  7. Cooking, visiting with my two sons and daughter-in-law and playing with the cutest little 3 yr old grandson ever! I don't know a thing about Japanese pastry...so I am no help to you! I agree they are pretty!

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  8. Oh, lucky you, these pastries look yummy, and the papers and boxes are truly beautiful !! I guess that the white round ones are made of rice flour and the colour and texture (as far I as can judge from the picture !) remind me of a Chinese treat I used to buy in Strasbourg, and it was delicious !!! (is it filled with an almond paste, a little yellowish in colour ?)

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  9. What fun and exotic little gifties! Enjoy them...whatever they may be.

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  10. It was supposed to be a lazy day, nothing on, you see. So, what did I do?
    Housework! Drat.

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  11. What am I doing on a Sunday afternoon? After getting my blog fix, I'm back to my studio where I'll continue cutting 12x12 sheets of decorative paper into 6x6 sheets. I only make greeting cards, so cutting paper into small pieces will make it easier to find just what I need. Organizing is so much fun!

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  12. Save the little box your goodies came in! It looks as if if would be a nice holder for small things...

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  13. Oh what lovely pastries! And doesn't a beautiful presentation add so much to the experience?
    I've read a little bit about Japanese culture and they seem to incorporate gift-giving into so much of life. I think it's a beautiful practice and can enhance so much of human interaction. Some of the best gifts I've ever received were small, practical, common items given unexpectedly and presented very graciously.

    Today, I have gone to church (our adult Sunday School Study is very interesting and exciting!), gone to my son's football playoff game (a win---yeesssss!), and now DH is cooking (another win, for me), blog-surfing while the Patriots are on. It is a bit raw, cold (40's)with light rain off and on, so we aren't raking leaves, that was yesterday.

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  14. We have had several Japanese exchange students over the years and my sister is now hosting international students who are here learning English -- their "candies" and sweet are almost always sweetened bean curd. Some are delicious and some are more of an "acquired taste"
    - Katie

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Thank you for your comment. I read and value each one, cherishing the connections we can make although far apart. Usually, I visit your blog in return, although if you ask a question I try to contact you directly.

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