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10 Must-Try Japanese Desserts in Hiroshima

  • Writer: Hiroshima Localized
    Hiroshima Localized
  • 4 days ago
  • 3 min read


The delicious taste of Japanese desserts – think of mochi, right? – are enough to make you pocket them while touring Tokyo Disneyland or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Osaka. Travelers are also willing to brave the Japanese customs should they wish to bring some bags of these treats home. 


Hiroshima is always the perfect place to try these desserts and treats, even better than in Tokyo, like seriously. This is because sugar plantations in Japan are primarily found in the southern regions, particularly in the southwestern islands, exactly where Hiroshima is. Specifically, the biggest areas for sugar are the Nansei Islands, including Okinawa, and on Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima. Wondering which are the best desserts in Hiroshima? Here’s the list!


1. Hassaku Jelly


Hassaku jelly is native to Hiroshima. If you happen to be here, it’s surely a miss if you don’t try this delight. It combines the luxurious Hassaku from Innoshima within the Prefecture with a refreshing acidity and sweetness that make it a favorite even in the hot weather. 




2. Hassaku Daifuku


Meanwhile, Hassaku daifuku is the lower-key version of the jelly. It is characterized by its gentle taste, featuring the vibes of Japanese confectionery lingering on your taste buds. It also has fresh fruits wrapped in white bean paste within a mochi kneaded with Mandarin oranges. With Mandarin oranges, even? How about that?



3. Nagasakido's Butter Cake

Even if you’d had lots of butter cakes in your life, such as when your mom or dad often buys them from the grocery store or if you own a bakery, every butter cake experience in Hiroshima will always be new. 


As you open the cake box, the scent of butter spreads softly. It has been said that this butter cake was invented by the first castella craftsman in Nagasaki, hence the name, and has since become a bestseller for over five decades. They will remind you of the famous sponge cakes from Malaysia.


4. Kawadori Mochi

If being simple is a reputation, that has to be kawadori mochi. This famous Hiroshima confectionery is made with yummy walnuts prepared with top-notch gyuhi. What you get are bite-sized Japanese sweets sprinkled with soybean flour for that simple yet deep flavor that tourists always look for. 



5. Muscat from Kyogakudo


Can you guess what muscats are? No, they are not muscovado from Spanish colonies, nor chocolate, but actually a variety of grapes. 


Kyogakudo muscat is a sweet made by wrapping fresh muscat, and this has been the method of preparation for almost four decades now. Thin gyuhi is wrapped around the treat. Enjoy the exquisite taste of this fruit while you’re lounging in Hiroshima. 


6. Oatmeal Natural Fresh Cookies


Another treat that looks, sounds, and tastes common is the oatmeal cookies. Quaker has them, but oatmeal cookies from Hiroshima use karasu barley, known for its high nutritional value. The package will also entice you to finish it before expected. It’s designed like Ash Ketchum from your favorite pocket monsters anime series.



7. Custard Cream Bun


Bite into custard cream buns as you walk around temples and monuments, and you get pure bliss. The best ones of this kind are found in the shop known as “Creamepan,” which is a wordplay for the treat.


The treat is laden with a moist and fluffy dough filled with cream that’s oh-so-gentle on the sweetness. It melts in your mouth like cotton candy!


8. The Melonpan


The best pairing with a custard cream bun is the melonpan. Hailing from Kure, this rugby ball-shaped treat is showered with biscuit bites on the outside. Inside, you’ll find an irresistible custard cream with a taste that will take you back in time. Texture, check. Volume, check. Dig in!



9. Strawberry Parfait



Cold regions are home to strawberries, and so is Hiroshima. Every start of the year, Hiroshima enters the strawberry season. There’s also a farm where you can do strawberry-picking, before you head over to a coffee shop that serves the special strawberry parfait made with ingredients fresh from the greenery. As for the taste, go see for yourself.


10. Basque Cheesecake


If you’ve had lots of New York Cheesecake already, it doesn’t matter because Hiroshima’s Basque Cheesecake tastes unique. Made fresh daily, it features a perfectly caramelized exterior housing a soft interior. No wonder it’s trending on Instagram!


Just be sure to have your water by your side, as these treats can get really sweet.

Looking to dive deeper into Hiroshima’s rich culture and history? Join our local tour guides for our Hiroshima Free Walking Tour!






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