Japanese confectioner Ginza Cozy Corner will be offering some gorgeous treats for Hinamatsuri — Japanese Girl’s Day.
Even as shops in Japan are filling up with tempting, chocolatey creations for Valentine’s Day, popular sweets manufacturer Ginza Cozy Corner are looking a bit further into the future and have come out with a selection of confections for Hinamatsuri, the “Girl’s Day” festival held each year on March 3, and we’re certainly not complaining about having another opportunity to enjoy some beautiful cakes!
So, what exactly is Hinamatsuri? It’s a Japanese festival that’s celebrated on March 3 to wish for the health and happiness of girls, typically by decorating an elaborate display of “hina” dolls at home and consuming certain traditional foods such as rice wine, colored rice cake and chirashizushi (literally, “scattered sushi”), a kind of sushi where the ingredients are cut into small pieces and “scattered” on top of vinegared rice. Fortunately for us, that doesn’t mean we can’t have cake in addition to all the usual Hinamatsuri foods.
So, let’s take a look at some of the lovely treats Cozy Corner have created for this year’s Hinamatsuri.
● The Hina Party (nine mini-cakes for 2,700 yen [US$25])
This selection of nine dainty miniature cakes is almost too cute to eat! It features a “princess” and “prince” cake, following the tradition of decorating a royal couple as the center of the hina doll display. The cakes include a raspberry and strawberry tart, a mango and banana tart, a mont blanc tart in a regular chestnut version and a strawberry version, a strawberry cheesecake and a strawberry and matcha cake, among others. The array of flavors and colors look positively tantalizing!
● The Hina-ōgi Cake (2,160 yen)
This cake is designed in the shape of a fan (ōgi) and also features an adorable princess-and-prince doll couple made of sugar. The base is made of a matcha-flavored sponge cake and strawberry-flavored sponge cake with a layer of cream containing pieces of peach sandwiched in between.
They also have some fun, Disney-themed Hinamatsuri items as well, that may not exactly look traditionally Japanese, but give off plenty of that “girls’ party” vibe.
● The Rapunzel Dress Cake (3,780 yen)
Sure to delight at any Hinamatsuri party, this gorgeous creation based on Disney’s Tangled is a dome-shaped cake in a blueberry flavor containing a cheese-based cream and strawberry jam inside, while Rapunzel’s luxurious hair is made with lemon-flavored cream. This cake is available only by advance order which they’re taking until February 20 (for pick up between February 28 and March 3), so if this is the cake for you, make sure you place or order by then or even sooner, as supply is limited.
They also have the Disney Girl’s Collection (2,700 yen), a selection of beautiful mini-cakes inspired by your favorite female Disney characters including Minnie Mouse, Marie the cat, Belle, Snow White, Cinderella, Princess Aurora, Ariel and Jasmine:
And there’s also the adorable Very Berry Minnie Mouse Cake (1,944 yen) made from a chocolate sponge layer topped with a strawberry mousse layer containing a milk-based cream and a raspberry chocolate cream mixed with crunchy macadamia nut pieces:
While we’ve seen numerous seasonal treats and character-based confections from Ginza Cozy Corner before, naturally, we have no complaints, since it’s our firm opinion that you can never have too many excuses to eat cake. And yes, they have more items in the Hinamatsuri line-up other than what we’ve been able to show you above, so there’ll be no shortage of choice either. If you’re interested in the Hinamatsuri offerings, the festival is March 3, so be sure to get your hands on them before then!
Source: Ginza Cozy Corner website (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6)
Top image: Ginza Cozy Corner website (1)
Insert images: Ginza Cozy Corner website (2), (3), (4), (5), (6)
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