From grilled aubergine ice cream to celery cheesecake, veggie-led desserts were a surprising hit during my recent trip to Hokkaido
I’m the first person to refuse dessert at the end of a meal and, like many Asians, consider “not too sweet” the finest compliment I can bestow upon a cake or its brethren. So many found it odd that I spent some time in Hokkaido recently with the main aim of attending a sweets festival.
Japan’s National Confectionery Exposition has been held since 1911 to promote the country’s sweets trade. It occurs once every four years but, owing to the pandemic, was cancelled in 2021 and last held in 2017.
The expo returned this year for its 28th edition – called Smile Sweets Hokkaido – and was held in Asahikawa, a small city in Hokkaido, Japan’s northern island known for its excellent dairy industry and high-quality fruit and vegetables. More than 1,000 products featured.
Your personal data will be processed and information from your device (cookies, unique identifiers, and other device data) may be stored by, accessed by and shared with 91 TCF vendor(s) and 19 ad partner(s), or used specifically by this site or app.
