Porto

Japanese and Western sweets that evoke the history of trade

A longtime favorite of the people of Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, “Porto” is a confectionary that blends Japanese and Western flavors, consisting of a cookie sandwiching a yokan (sweet bean jelly). It may seem like a novel concept, but it was born in 1955 and has long been a popular confectionery in Nagasaki.

The package says “Nanban confectionery”. This terminology evokes the history of trade in Nagasaki.

Incidentally, the name “Porto” was named after the Portuguese port town of Porto. From the outside, it looks like a “Western baked cake,” and it is hard to imagine that there is azuki bean paste inside.

Sandwiched between the biscuit sandwiches is a “yokan” (sweetened sweet bean jelly) with sugar sprinkled around it, making it easy to pick up and eat. It feels quite substantial.

This gently flavored yokan has a fluffy aroma of yuzu (Japanese citron). The biscuit has a soft cookie flavor in a Western style, making it a confectionary that perfectly fits the expression “a blend of Japanese and Western flavors. The yokan inside the biscuit was a perfect match with black coffee.