Joyo, the king of Japanese cake

I remember that I could not help eating joyo, a kind of Japanese confection at my grandfather’s funeral. Many neighbors and relatives brought joyo and there were more than you can eat. I was 14 or 15. Maybe that was the time that I realized I love Japanese confections. Since then joyo has been my favorite.





Joyo is one of the traditional cakes in Japan. It’s popular and you can find it anywhere. It’s a simple confection. Sweet bean paste is covered with dough. The dough is like thin sponge which is made of rice and yam (a kind of root crop) if I remember right. When you put it in your mouth, the pleasant sweetness of bean paste will occupy your palate. The earthy flavor of yam adds an accent on the sweetness and you can even smell the aroma. Your hand naturally knows what you want next. That’s right, … a cup of green tea ^^


At last night’s tea lesson, the sweet was the joyo! I had a happy moment with joyo and matcha.