(EDITOR’S NOTE: Snackivanting highlights fashionable snack manufacturers in different nations.)
I’m scripting this whereas sitting on a airplane hurtling towards america from Tokyo. Under me, within the cargo maintain, is a big suitcase with a neon pink title tag. Inside is a stack of bins containing rows of small yellow desserts, individually wrapped in cellophane. No, not Twinkies. They’re Tokyo Bananas, the long-lasting meals memento of Tokyo.
Japan has a convention of gift-giving known as omiyage, journey souvenirs given to pals, household, or co-workers again at dwelling. The preferred are meals items. In the event you’ve ever introduced a field of salt water taffy from the seaside to the parents on the workplace, you could have given omiyage.
Omiyage is so frequent (and required) in Japanese tradition that each airport and enormous prepare station has a minimum of one retailer promoting a vary of meals items – something from regional-food-flavored Equipment Kats to bins of sweet or desserts meticulously wrapped in thick paper adorned with colourful flowers and patterns. I’m hypnotized by their magnificence and frozen with indecision on the limitless choices. Omiyage are sometimes distinctive to the town or prefecture they’re bought in, so you might not see them on the subsequent cease in your journey.
One meals present stands out from the remaining, for my part (I’m not the one one, judging by their reputation) – Tokyo Bananas. On my first journey to Tokyo in 2014, I saved seeing kiosks promoting them, every with a line of consumers that made me stroll proper previous. Lastly, I gave in to curiosity and purchased a single cake. I used to be all aboard the obsession prepare.
WHAT ARE TOKYO BANANAS?
Tokyo Banana’s sponge cake is fluffy, delicate, and moist (cease the hate for this phrase – it’s cake-appropriate), and the banana custard cream filling is silky and clearly made with actual bananas. That’s all there’s to it, however the remaining product is larger than the sum of its elements. Tokyo Bananas are alt-reality Twinkies – refined, genuine, and with an imminent expiration date (extra on that later).
Tokyo Bananas have been launched in 1991 and are the official omiyage of Tokyo. (It’s unclear who sanctions this title, however I’ll settle for it at face worth.) They have been reportedly the primary omiyage to function their metropolis within the title. They’ve grown in reputation, and seasonal and restricted version flavors have been added to the lineup, together with lemon, caramel, yogurt, maple, sakura, espresso milk, and chocolate. Every sports activities a special sample baked into the desserts, like zebra stripes, giraffe and leopard spots, otters, bears, and flowers. A brand new gluten-free model made with rice flour is a brand new addition.
Tokyo Banana has additionally collaborated to create Mickey Mouse-themed Tokyo Bananas (which have been obtainable at Tokyo Disneyland), together with Doraemon, Minions, and Pokemon characters. They’ve additionally spun-off into completely different meals mediums. There are Tokyo Banana cookies, pastries, cheesecakes, Equipment Kats, and final 12 months McDonald’s Japan launched Tokyo-Banana-flavored soft-serve waffle cones.
The COVID pandemic of 2020 and ensuing journey restrictions put a significant dent in Banana-business, so for the primary time, they have been rolled out in outlets throughout the nation.
TOKYO BANANA WORLD
In December 2022, Tokyo Banana World opened – a flagship retailer in Tokyo Station, a significant prepare hub with a big buying space. One month later, I used to be there, stocking up on bins of my beloved desserts, ogling the associated cookies and pastries, and dodging thick crowds of individuals doing the identical on their technique to catch subways and bullet trains (shinkansen). The position of the checkouts and line of consumers made it tough to maneuver throughout the shop, however I used to be devoted.
I’d heard the shop additionally had two treats that would solely be bought at that location (approx. $2.50 USD every). Each are sizzling, freshly-made doughnuts. (STOP IT.)
The primary was a savory product briefly launched in 2002 – Legendary Curry Bread, which is principally a savory doughnut full of beef, pork, onions, heavy cream, and banana puree. Curry bread is a favourite Japanese meals, however bananas aren’t often on the ingredient checklist. Sorry, I didn’t do that one, principally as a result of we’d simply eaten lunch and I used to be firmly in dessert mode.
The second store-exclusive – the Cream and Purple Bean Paste Doughnut – was primarily based on Japanese an-doughnuts with the addition of – you guessed it – banana. The one I ate, heated as much as molten magma temperatures, was probably the most beautiful ache I’ve ever skilled. The outer shell was crunchy due to a fiantine coating, which I consider is a Japanese translation of feuilletine, crumbled dry crepes. The dough below the fiantine was tender however maintained its construction (I can’t abide baked items that flip again to dough the second you contact them).
Inside, the purple bean paste hit me first…and scorched off a layer of palate pores and skin. Now, purple bean paste – I’m cut up on this staple of Asian desserts. Over time, I’ve grown to like the sweeter preparations of it, however I’m not all the time a fan of the extra earthy variations. This doughnut had presumably the perfect purple bean paste I’ve ever tasted. It was reasonably candy and had nice taste, however as soon as the attractive milky banana cream registered, the purple bean settled into an equal partnership. I barely croaked out, “It’s…so…sizzling…” earlier than moving into for an additional chew. They’re occurring my checklist of greatest doughnuts on this planet, proper beneath Britt’s beachside doughnuts in North Carolina.
After gorging down the contemporary doughnut, I crammed a buying basket with eight (sure) Tokyo Banana bins and headed dwelling to New York.
HOW TO BUY TOKYO BANANA IN THE US?
I found up to now 12 months that there at the moment are (unofficial) methods of getting Tokyo Banana within the US. Yamibuy, a big on-line purveyor of Asian meals and different merchandise, hosts third-party sellers who will ship Tokyo Banana bins to my (and presumably your) keen palms, with a few caveats.
First, they price much more. A field of eight original-flavor Tokyo Banana price me ¥1,166 Japanese yen in Tokyo (approx $8.96 USD at present charges). The identical field via Third get together sellers on Yamibuy is $21.00 USD plus delivery. The opposite caveat is shelf life. Expiration dates printed on the field run about 1-2 weeks from the date of buy. Third-party purchases are doubtless going to be practically at or previous the expiration dates, which isn’t beneficial. However I’ve eaten many TBs properly previous the expiration dates (typically greater than a month), they usually have been nonetheless tasty. Not fairly like those I simply hauled dwelling from the supply, however not unhealthy! (Determined junk foodies resort to determined measures.)
Some distributors promote through Amazon, however in my expertise, these have been much more costly and extra of an expiration date gamble. Test native outlets that promote Asian snacks and sweets, as properly. Typically they pop up there. And, in fact, strong-arm anybody who’s going to Japan into bringing you again some from their travels.
And I stay in hope that sometime, I’ll be capable to jump over to Grand Central and purchase a field of Tokyo’s signature deal with.
