There isn’t any one specific “this is it!” moment, but don’t you have a food that brings back lots of little memories you can’t quite put into words? For me, Nagoyan (なごやん) is just that kind of sweets. I can’t quite explain it, but when I see a package of Nagoyan, it feels like those warm memories slowly spread through my heart.
Nagoyan is a type of Japanese baked manju — a soft Japanese cake filled with a smooth sweet paste made from white bean paste and egg yolks (called kimiann). As you may have guessed from its name;p, it has been one of Nagoya’s most beloved local confections.
Souvenir, Offering & Daily Snack
You probably know and have tried many local sweets in Japan, but Nagoyan has a special side to it that is a little different from them. What sets Nagoyan apart from other famous local confections is its unique position in the market. Nagoyan is not only a classic Nagoya souvenir for tourists, a formal gift or offering for a Buddhist altar, but also a regular household treat that people in Nagoya grow up with.
As proof of that you can find Nagoyan almost anywhere — not just at airport and train station souvenir shops, traditional confectioneries, or department store food halls, but also at local supermarkets and some convenience stores. They are sold individually for around 100 yen each, in multi-packs, or in gift boxes.
In fact, I find myself want to eat Nagoyan and buying it at the supermarket just like I would buy a chocolate bar. Also, my family always has packs of Nagoyan at family gatherings like New Year’s. It might not be super fancy, but the charm of Nagoyan is how it’s naturally woven into the daily lives of the locals.
What does Nagoyan taste like?
The outer shell is lightly baked castella-style dough, and inside is filled with velvety kimiann (a smooth sweet paste made from white bean paste and egg yolks). It has a gentle, subtle sweetness that pairs perfectly with not only Japanese tea, but also coffee, black tea or milk. My grandpa loved matching Nagoyan with milk very much:)
Even if you are not a big fan of traditional Japanese red bean paste (anko) and you generally have your guard up against anko, I’d really love for you to try it. Kimiann tastes more like a rich creamy custard and it tastes quite different from regular anko sweets — you might be pleasantly surprised;)
Meet the ‘Nagonyan (なごにゃん)’
There is a cute spin-off version of Nagoyan, called “Nagonyan”. It’s playful wordplay, combining ‘Nagoyan’ with ‘nyan’—the Japanese word for a cat’s meow.
Of course, it’s shaped like adorable cat paw:) It is filled with the same kimiann as Nagoyan, plus white chocolate cream in the centre.
Pair Nagoyan with Myokoen’s hojicha — Nagoya’s most beloved tea — and you can have the perfect Nagoya style tea break at home:)
Nagoyan might not be a world-famous sweet just yet, but it is without a doubt the most loved treat in Nagoya.
Nagoyan is a special sweet but not special sweets, which makes Nagoyan special;)
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