Top 3 Traditional Desserts
in Kyoto Prefecture

Mitarashi dango is a popular Japanese treat which consists of skewered rice cakes covered in a sweet, sticky soy sauce glaze. They are traditionally made with five round cakes, just like they were initially prepared at the Kamo Mitarashi Tea House in Kyoto. It is believed the name mitarashi stems from their similarity to water bubbles found in the water basins at the entrances of Shinto shrines. Today they are popular throughout the country, readily available at convenience stores and specialized dango shops.Expand

One of the best known meibutsu or regional specialty products of Kyoto, yatsuhashi is a type of wagashi - traditional Japanese confections that are often served with tea and sold mainly as souvenir sweets called miyagegashi. Reflecting hundreds of years of the city’s history and traditions, this popular Kyoto meibutsu first appeared in 1689 and was named after Kengyo Yatsuhashi, a famous Japanese harp player and composer of koto music, which is why the most traditional yatsuhashi is shaped like koto. Over time, Japanese omiyage or souvenir industry started introducing other varieties. Yaki yatsuhashi is a crispy baked, cinnamon-flavored cookie made from sticky rice flour, while its raw version called nama yatsuhashi is typically folded into a triangle and has a soft, almost mochi-like texture. It most often comes flavored with green tea or black sesame, wrapped around the sweet red bean paste, but it's also available in a number of other flavors.Expand

Soba boro is a traditional flower-shaped cookie. It’s made from buckwheat flour and lots of eggs. This Japanese confection is a part of wagashi (or nanban-gashi) sweets, but it’s not as expensive as other types of wagashi. The cookies are very crisp and have a texture that’s similar to the Italian biscotti. The word boro in its name is derived from a Portuguese word for cake, bolo. Soba boro cookies are typically served in the afternoon, with a cup of tea on the side. Although soba boro are associated with Kyoto, they can be found throughout the country, and these cookies are often bought as gifts.Expand