Turns out Studio Ghibli’s forest spirit is also a magical dessert.
I don’t really have any close acquaintances who live in my neighborhood here in Japan. Sure, I’ve got plenty of friends, professional colleagues, in-laws, and even a brother whose family is occasionally in the country as part of the expanded Baseel family’s adventures in Asia, but no one who lives so close to my apartment that they’re going to pop in for a visit without letting me know ahead of time.
So when someone appears at the door, it’s often either someone who wants to sell me something, someone looking to spread their religious/political beliefs, or a delivery person. And since neither my wife nor I had any mid-shipment orders we were waiting for, when the doorbell recently rang after we’d finished eating dinner, I was fully prepared to tell whoever was out there “Not interested, and don’t bother us so late at night.”
But it’s a good thing I didn’t, because it was neither a missionary nor a salesman who’d shown up, but Totoro!
OK, technically it was a deliveryman. Like I said, though, we hadn’t ordered anything, so I thought maybe the package was actually meant for one of our neighbors. But nope, the delivery guy confirmed that it was addressed to me and my address, so I signed for the package, because hey, how could I say no this?
▼ おとどけトトロ = Delivery Totoro
The mystery cleared up when I took a closer look at the shipping slip and saw that the package had been sent from a friend of mine who we’d recently given a gift to (yes, classical Japanese etiquette has a custom of thank-you-for-your-gift gifts). But what was inside? Removing the illustrated card from the top of the box revealed another piece of artwork, this one printed directly on the lid.
Opening the lid revealed even more charming drawings…
…and then, under this final layer of padding…
…were four Totoros!
▼ OK, let’s get you guys out of there!
Unexpected Totoro guests are an awesome surprise, but the situation got even better because these Totoros aren’t just adorable, they’re dessert! Each one of them is a cream puff, lovingly made by Tokyo’s Studio Ghibli-recognized Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory, a pastry shop run by relatives of Ghibli co-founder and My Neighbor Totoro director Hayao Miyazaki.
As for why they come as a quartet, each one of them has a different flavor of filling, indicated by the color of the chocolate leaf on their forehead. White is the standard vanilla cream filling, while brown is chocolate, pink is strawberry, and green is matcha.
Though Studio Ghibli isn’t exactly averse to merchandising and cross-promotion (there’s an entire chain of stores devoted exclusively to merch from their anime films), they do tend to be pretty selective about who they give their blessing too, plus in the case of Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory there’s the whole familial connection and associated pride. So not only do the Totoro cream puffs amazingly cute, they’re outstandingly tasty too.
▼ Sorry, Totoro, gotta show the readers what’s inside…
The cream filling has an intriguingly balanced consistency to it, moist but not runny. With the Totoro cream puffs being quite a bit bigger than regular ones, you’re not going to be able to finish them in just one or two bites, so the cream being thick enough that it doesn’t all come spilling out lets you take your time and really savor the flavor. That flavor avoids the oiliness that can seep into overly buttery cream puff fillings, and in the case of the vanilla and chocolate Totoros, tastes more than a little like a scoop of ice cream.
▼ The matcha filling starts off subtle, but the green tea notes quickly amp up as you chew, and there are even some sweet red beans as an added bonus.
The pastry itself has similar qualities, in that it’s neither a dry, flakey Danish nor a texture-less sponge. It’s right in sweet spot, without being distractingly sweet itself, and also feels more substantial that other cream puff outer layers.
▼ Pro tip: If you’re slicing your Totoro cream puff but feel bad bisecting it, taking layers off the bottom turns it into a little Totoro.
Interestingly, all this makes the Totoro treats a high-quality dessert for people who already adore cream puffs, but with just enough unique characteristics that even if you’re usually only a moderate-level cream puff fan, you’ll probably find more than you’d expect to love here.
And since the Totoro cream puffs ship cold, you don’t necessarily have to eat them all in one day, as long as you keep them in the fridge.
▼ Sorry, tofu. Move to the back and make way for those Totoros.
If you’re interested in ordering some Totoro cream puffs, either as a gift or just to enjoy for yourself, the Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory online order page can be found here. Bear in mind, though, that orders have to be in boxes of four, so if you want just one, you’ll need to head to one of the bakery’s two branches in Tokyo.
Related: Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory official website
Photos ©SoraNews24
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