You know what’s inside your Brita filter, right? Charcoal. You know the best way to keep the fridge from smelling bad? Put a piece of charcoal in it.

Due to its purifying effects, people in Japan take powdered charcoal as a daily supplement, and some people even say it saves you from radiation. There’s no scientific proof in this, but there is hope.

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The art of perfection is everywhere in Japan. In its laquerware, electronics and especially in its food. Dessert Le Comptoir in Fukasawa, Tokyo is an example of food perfection. A 10 minute bus-ride from Jiyugaoka, it’s a bit of a challenge to make it out here if you are not given specific directions, but when you arrive, it’s worthwhile. Our friends who live in Fukasawa invited us here on our last day in Tokyo before heading back to Berkeley.

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By Yuki HD

When we were little we used to watch my oba-chan (grandmother) make this seasonal treat from Kagoshima prefecture in southern Japan. We were too little to enjoy it at first, but as we grew older the dish became more and more delicious.

Oba-chan’s preparation differed from the original recipe in that she substituted shochu for water. She did this to preserve the kinkan (kumquats), and the flavor was an unexpected gift.

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Amazake literally translates to “sweet sake” which is deceiving considering it’s non-alcoholic. It’s sweet, milky and easy to digest, making it perfect for kids or adults with an upset stomach.

Amazake is made by combining koji with cooked rice, which allows the rice to break down into simple sugars. This is the first step to sake-making. After this step, making sake involves fermentation, pasteurization and filteration and achieves an ABV of around 15%.

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Jonathan’s brother and his wife Arielle came to visit last weekend from New York. The weather was gorgeous so we did a little late afternoon baking on the deck with a glass of wine! Arielle is a fabulous baker and this is her recipe for hamentashen. These cookies are traditionally made for Purim, a Jewish holiday this past weekend (people dress up like Halloween, give these cookies to each other and drink a lot — it’s great!!).

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It is a bit unnerving that the word “oil” is a part of the name of this cake, but don’t let it fool you, it’s delicious. Besides, there’s oil in any cake, right? And since it’s not super sweet, this makes a great breakfast pastry, similar to a banana or zucchini bread. The addition of the salty sunflower seeds on top really seals the deal for me, adding a little crunch and savoriness.

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Over the weekend, we celebrated a little Jewish holiday called Tu Bishvat. It’s often called the “new year of the trees” and is sort of like Jewish Earth Day. Traditionally people eat 15 kinds of fruits and nuts and drink four glasses of wine… then you go outside and plant a tree (who doesn’t love that?!)!  For shabbat dinner we drank “The Feast” wine and I made these apricots for dessert.

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*Nahoko Morimoto is a Tokyo-based photographer. Her work has been featured in Brutus and Vogue Japan.

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There is something about Japanese confectionary and pâtisseries that pushes sweets to a level of sophistication I haven’t found anywhere else. It’s not the purely Japanese examples either. They excel in transforming desserts from all over the world into something less sweet, less heavy and more palatable. And it’s no coincidence that sweets are HUGE in Japan. If a cake shop has made it big somewhere in the world, that it’s only a matter of time before you’ll find a small shop opening in Japan, especially French pâtisseries.

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Cream anmitsu at Nakamuraya on the 9th floor of Tokyu department store (west wing) in Shibuya.

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