Ajisai

Incredibly dense texture, never had such a rusk of the texture.

“Ajisai” made by Kamakura Beniya, a shop originating in Kanagawa known for its Kurumikko sweets, is one of their popular sweets.  Recently many shops selling Kurumikko seem to sell out quickly due to their popularity.  I got a chance to receive an assortment of “Kurumikko” “Kamakura Doyori” and this “Ajisai” as souvenirs from Kamakura.

This “Ajisai” looks like a rusk, but feels surprisingly heavy in the hand.

Almond slices are scattered over the round bread dough, crafted to image of the hydrangea flowers blooming in Kamakura.

The French bread-like dough, thoroughly soaked in rich custard-flavored cream, seems to be slowly baked and dried. The substantial weight feeling comes from the density of the cream soaked into the dough.

It’s amazingly baked so densely packed. The texture is quite substantial, with a satisfying crunch, never had such a rusk texture for me.   Paired with the smooth and sweet custard cream, that is absolutely delicious. This delivers a satisfyingly crunchy texture, making it a truly satisfying rusk.