Eye-Catching Desserts! Top 3 Sweets Shops Using Yamagata Fruit
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Rightfully known as the "Fruit Kingdom," Yamagata is a region where cherries, grapes, and many other fruits are produced. You'll find a variety of shops selling pudding, tarts, and sweets made using Yamagata-grown fruit. Deciding on which dessert to eat will be the hard part!
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Tokyo, Japan
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Savor Tasty Sweets in Yamagata, the Fruit Kingdom
One of Yamagata’s distinguishing features is its wide variety of fruit! Boasting the largest fruit production in the country, the prefecture rightfully earned its nickname as the “Fruit Kingdom.” Yamagata is also the birthplace of Sato Nishiki cherries and Shonai persimmons.
Moreover, local shops have created delectable desserts made with generous amounts of these seasonal fruits. These Yamagata-grown varieties are known not only for their delicious flavor but also for freshness.
In this article, we'll introduce three shops that each serve unique desserts. Let’s begin our search for exquisite sweets!
1. Kiyoka: A Long-Established Fruit Shop
Located in a two-storied building, Kiyoka is a massive fruit shop in the city of Yonezawa. In addition to selling Yamagata-grown fruit, they carry both domestically produced and imported varieties.
In this shop reminiscent of the Showa period, customers will find a spacious eating area. Here, you can indulge in sweets made with the freshest fruit.
The most eye-catching offering on the menu is the Fruits Parfait (1,760 yen with tax), which comes with ten varieties of fruit. Next is the seasonal Autumn Parfait (1,430 yen with tax). This parfait is full of surprises with each bite, from the sizable grapes to the chestnut gelato layered underneath! The natural sweetness of the chestnuts brings out a wonderfully delicate flavor.
The fruits used in the parfait are cut to order so that they're as fresh as possible. Due to the shop's popularity, the waiting time for an order can be almost an hour on weekends and public holidays.
The gelato (single scoop 400 yen with tax; double 508 yen with tax) served in the parfaits is also homemade. The frozen dessert is beautifully displayed in a single row inside the shop’s display case. You may have a hard time choosing a single flavor!
In fact, Kiyoka is known for introducing gelato to the Tohoku region. The melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich flavor will make a lasting impression on your palate.
Most customers at Kiyoka have a sweet tooth, and many come with their families. When we visited, there were people from all walks of life enjoying their parfaits. Kei Tanaka, a popular Japanese actor, visited the shop to film a television program. Many of his fans reportedly visited Kiyoka after the show was broadcast.
The parfait and ice cream flavors change seasonally, so there's always something new to enjoy. Dessert lovers will be content no matter which flavor they try!
2. Yamagata Pudding: An Irresistible Dessert
Yamagata Pudding is the name of the prefecture's premier pudding shop. Until 2018, this store in Kaminoyama City was known as Confectionery Studio KOYO. In fact, KOYO is one of the confectionery shops of the long-standing inn Koyo Ryokan. This famous establishment has been selected among the “Top 100 Ryokans Voted by Industry Professionals” for 44 consecutive years.
The pudding was such a hit that KOYO confectionery shop renovated and reopened as a specialty pudding store. They changed their name to Yamagata Pudding, reflecting the change in the company's offerings.
Yamabe milk and Benibana eggs—key ingredients in the Yamagata Pudding—are both produced in Yamagata. The shop also sells limited-edition flavors made with seasonal fruits. This product is perfect for the "Fruit Kingdom" of Yamagata!
An honorable mention is the Yamagata Raw Egg Pudding (880 yen with tax), which is limited to 15 servings per day. Unbelievably, this dessert has to be eaten within ten minutes! With milk pudding as the base, it is topped with a raw Benibana egg and caramel.
The raw egg is served on a separate plate, allowing customers to pour the crimson-colored yolk over the pudding. It might be a bit nerve-racking trying to drop the egg in a nice position!
The egg yolk is rich and slightly sweet. It pairs well with the plain milk pudding and bittersweet caramel syrup.
You'll find a variety of pudding served in glass jars that make compact gifts. The Plain Pudding (418 yen with tax) and the slightly bitter Wine Pudding Rouge (473 yen with tax) are products available year-round. Alternatively, the Shine Muscat Pudding (495 yen with tax) and other fruit varieties are sold seasonally for a limited time.
The fruit puddings here are adorable in appearance and amazingly filling. With each bite, you can experience different fruit textures that will surely capture the hearts of fruit connoisseurs.
3. Aomoriya: Savor High-Quality Fruits in a Century-Old Shop!
You'll see fresh seasonal fruit neatly lining the storefront of Aomoriya. Its eye-catching red signboard is easy to spot from miles away, attracting customers to the store.
You'll find fresh and dried fruits alongside processed goods like jam at the front of the first floor. The indoor eating areas are located at the end of the first floor and on the second floor.
This shop was founded over a century ago. Having maintained its popularity over the decades, Aomoriya boasts a large regular clientele. But why is it called Aomoriya if it's located in Yamagata?
It's because the shop’s first president was from Aomori Prefecture. He originally opened his shop in the city of Tsuruoka, Yamagata, and sold Aomori apples. The establishment was named Aomoriya so that the proprietor would never forget his roots.
In 2011, the store created an indoor cafe space. The first floor's eating area has an antique ambiance, while the second floor's milky-white space feels bright and romantic.
It resembles sitting in a loft if you're seated under its sloped ceiling. Nevertheless, the space feels neither compressed nor claustrophobic. Be sure to make a reservation if you wish to sit on the large sofas.
The first thing you should try is the Mixed Tart (500 yen with tax), which is their signature fruit tart. It contains more than ten different seasonal fruits that offer a tasty surprise with every bite.
Special attention is given to the custard; it's made in-house following an original recipe and has a subtle sweetness tailored to let the fruits’ natural flavor shine. The custard and fruits pair so harmoniously, it's no wonder everyone loves this dessert!
Five to six different tarts are always available in their display case. You can try a different tart each time you visit!
The Fruit Sandwich (450 yen with tax) is another dish with a large fan following. Sliced fruits are generously sandwiched between slices of bread. Open wide and take a bite of fruity goodness!
Head to Yamagata for Fruit-Centric Sweets
The large temperature shifts of Yamagata’s daily climate enable the prefecture to produce fruit with consistent sweetness. Thus, many local confectionery shops craft delectable desserts made with fruit. These sweets are the epitome of fresh ingredients and customer satisfaction.
If you love desserts and freshly-picked fruits, head to Yamagata for a farm-to-table sweets extravaganza!
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Written by Kenko
Sponsored by Yamagata Prefecture
MATCHA's promotional account for corporate and local government advertising. We aim to provide useful information to our readers in an enjoyable manner.
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