Desserts from Kyoto
Kyoto was Japan's capital for more than a thousand years, and its sweet shops still work like it. Some have been making the same few treats in the same small kitchens for generations.
Where the sweet things are in Kyoto
Kyoto is famous for wagashi, the delicate Japanese sweets made to be eaten with green tea, and for the matcha grown just down the road.
Here sweets follow the seasons, shaped like cherry blossoms in spring and maple leaves in fall. Look for chewy mochi, soft bean-filled pancakes and anything flavored with matcha, from ice cream to cake.
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Questions about desserts from Kyoto
What is wagashi?
Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets, usually made from rice, sugar and sweet bean paste. They are lightly sweet and often shaped to match the season.
Why is Kyoto known for matcha?
The town of Uji, just south of Kyoto, has grown some of Japan's most prized green tea for centuries, so matcha shows up in Kyoto desserts everywhere.
