June 10 is Caramel Day! 9 Must-Try Japanese Caramel Sweets

June 10 is Caramel Day! This day commemorates the day Morinaga's popular Milk Caramel, which was released in 1913. Caramel is booming right now in Japan, and it's popular with everyone from kids to adults. Read on for 9 recommended caramel sweets you can get in Japan, including some caramel-flavored Japanese sweets you may not have tried before!

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Patisserie KIHACHI | Caramel Apple Gateau Sandwich

Caramel Apple Gateau Sandwich is a newly released item from Patisserie KIHACHI. These sandwich cookies are designed to look like tiny cakes, and are made with buttercream and caramelized apple sandwiched between two crunchy cookies. 

N.Y.C. Sand | N.Y. Caramel Sandwich

N.Y.C. Sand is a patisserie that specializes in sandwich cookies like the N.Y. Caramel Sandwich. The inspiration for these cookies was said to have came from Havanna alfajores that were popular in New York in the 1960s. 

The N.Y. Caramel Sandwich cookie combines smooth, soft brown sugar caramel with butter-flavored cookies with a chocolate coating. They come in packs of 8, which makes them perfect as a Tokyo souvenir for any caramel lovers in your life!

N.Y.C. Sand | N.Y. Sunny Orange Caramel Sandwich

Also from N.Y. Sand, this new variety is a summer 2019 exclusive product!

These biscuits combine orange-flavored soft caramel chocolate with their famous buttery cookies. The textures blend perfectly together with a fresh accent that's perfect for summer.

Make sure to visit N.Y. Sand's store to discover what other limited edition varieties they might have when you're in Tokyo!

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Hill Valley | Pure Gold Caramel

Hill Valley makes gourmet popcorn in a wide range of fun flavors including Truffle and Berry Cheesecake.

Of course, caramel fans won't want to miss their popular Pure Gold Caramel variety! Hill Valley's unique air-popped popcorn, which has a rich caramel flavor, makes for an irresistible snack.

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Funawa | Imo Kinka x Caramel

Funawa is a long-standing traditional Japanese sweet shop founded in 1902.

Caramel is not a traditional flavor in Japan, which is what make these rice cookies so unique.These cookies have four layers of senbei (rice crackers) made from the Japanese "beni-azuma" variety of sweet potato. A rich caramel mixed with sliced almonds is layered between the rice crackers. The nutty flavor of the almonds and the thin, crisp crackers gives the perfect accent to the caramel's sweetness.

Noix | Walnut Cookie

Noix is a Tokyo-based patisserie that specializes in sweets made with nuts! This Walnut Cookie is their signature item.
These cookies are made with a luxurious combination of caramelized walnuts and richly buttery biscuits. The crisp walnuts and melting texture of the chocolate really takes these to the next level!  

Tokyo Carameliser | Tokyo Carameliser Assortment

Like its name suggests, Tokyo Carameliser is all about caramelization! Their sweets are all designed to harness the aromatic and bitter-sweet flavor of caramelized ingredients. 

Their signature item, the Tokyo Carameliser, are wafers coated with caramelized white and maple sugars. The 2019 summer assortment features a generous mix of their three main products: the Tokyo Carameliser, Tokyo Chouquette, and Tokyo Carameliser Coconut.

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Kagurazaka Kakaryo | Milk Caramel Okoshi

Kaguraza Kakaryo is a speciality store that sells 33 types of okoshi sweets! Okoshi are a traditional type of Japanese snack made from roasted rice cakes that can be flavored with either sweet or savory ingredients.

Of course, the Milk Caramel Okoshi is the perfect way to celebrate Caramel Day. The rich, creamy caramel and the crispy texture of the okoshi is really irrestible. While you're at Kaguraza Kakaryo, make sure to sample some of their many other varieties! Their colorfully packaged assortments also make for a great gift from Japan.

Tsuruya Yoshinobu | Tsuruya Yoshinobu Yokan (Caramel)

Tsuruya Yoshinobu is one of Kyoto's most famous Japanese sweets makers. With a history stretching over 200 years, their beautiful, high quality sweets have been prized by Kyoto locals for generations. If you love caramel, don't miss the caramel flavor of Tsuruya Yoshinobu's legendary yokan! These adorable jellies blend Japanese and Western flavors together with amazing results.

Yokan is a traditional Japanese type of jelly made with bean paste, sugar, and agar-agar. Agar-agar is plant-derived, so even if you typically avoid gelatin-based jellies because you are vegan or don't eat beef or pork, you can still enjoy this treat from Japan!

You may be wondering if caramel and sweet beans go together, but you'll be surprised at how well the flavors suit each other! 

Did you find anything you might want to try? The flavors of these treats are so skillfully balanced that they might just be the thing to convert some of your friends into caramel lovers too!

 

If you want to give feedback on any of our articles, you have an idea that you'd really like to see come to life, or you just have a question on Japan, hit us up on our FacebookTwitter, or Instagram!

The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.

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