When do you think the season of strawberry is!? Winter...? Spring...??
Nowadays, we see strawberry in a super market almost all year around. It is getting more and more difficult for us to know the real seasonality of any kind of food, isn't it!?
In Japan, real season for strawberry is Spring from April to June. Of course, there is a slight time difference between the regions though.
But, as I mentioned earlier, many strawberries are farmed in greenhouses nowadays and many of them are often started to be seen in the market during the winter time.
Fresh Strawberries (left), Ichigo Daifuku (right top),
Ichigo Daifuku Tempura (right bottom)
So, this time of the year, I make dessert with strawberries. "Ichigo Daifuku 苺大福" is one of them.
It's a very popular Japanese sweet. Strawberry coated by sweet red bean paste and a layer of soft & sticky Mochi-like skin.
So, it will be just like the above picture on the right top. Strawberry in the middle, covered with dark brawn seet red been paste and outside is a white stickly rice cake skin.
This time, I have put a little twist to the traditional "Ichigo Daifuku". Deep fry it with tempura batter and served with strawberry puree (on the right bottom of the above picture). Surface of it becomes hot and crispy... Very Nice!
"Ichigo Daifuku"
