Dorayaki

 I first encountered Dorayaki back in my college years during one of my Japanese classes. My professor had just returned from a trip to Japan and he brought with him a bag of goodies, including dorayaki and grean tea. I was , at first, reluctant to try this confection because I never associated black beans and pastry in the same sentence! However, being open to trying new things, I took a bite of this pastry and I have never looked back.

Dorayaki is a Japanese cake with a sweet black bean filling. It actually looks like two mini pancakes stuck together with the sweet black bean filling (anko). It can be enjoyed on its own or with some hot green tea or oolong tea, which balances out the sweetness of the pastry.

Dorayaki can be found at most Asian supermarkets, either in the candy / sweets aisle or sometimes in the "cold" section where cakes and other such pastries are kept. A pack of dorayaki normally sells for between $3.99  and $4.99...cherish every bite you take because before you know it, you are out of dorayaki !