Have your crystals and eat them too.
They say diamonds are forever but besides their famous hardness, it’s our fascination with gems, crystals, and other minerals that never seems to cease. Their often glittering geometric beauty crafted by nature over periods of time that sometimes stretch into eons has captivated our imaginations throughout human history.
And now we can eat them too!
Not the actual crystals of course, but Usagi no Nedoko, a lifestyle goods and dessert maker in Tokyo and Kyoto, has crafted a set of cakes that look a lot like the real things. Called Crystal Rock Cake (Kessho Rock Cake), each cake resembles a type of crystal embedded in rock.
▼ They come in a very classy box too.
It’s also a play on conventional rock cakes, which are a crumbly type of cake from Britain similar to a scone. When you open up the box you’ll find each cake individually boxed like geological samples.
▼ Clockwise from top left: Fluorite, Apatite, Amethyst, Garnet, Lazulite
The gemstone parts are each made from pâte de fruits, a chewy and sweet French confection made from a fruit flavored jelly paste. In addition to having a delectable taste and texture, they also have just the right kind of sheen to resemble a real crystal.
Our writer Natsuki Gojo bought a box for 2,160 yen (US$15) and tried each one out, starting with the Fluorite. This was a mint-flavored candy atop a dark chocolate rock cake for a more mature flavor.
Next, the Apatite was made from an apple-flavored pâte de fruits on a rock cake with a firm aroma of black tea. This cake would go quite well with a real cup of tea on a relaxing afternoon.
The Lazulite uses a plain rock cake to really bring out the unique look and flavor of the bright blue gemstone topping. This is flavored with blue curaçao, a Dutch distilled liquor made with the citrusy scent of laraha peels.
The mango-flavored Garnet topping is interestingly matched up with a very aromatic rock cake that contains black sesame. The two tastes went together much better than Natsuki expected.
Her favorite one was Amethyst, mostly because the pale purple color reminded her of the actual stone. It also had a mysteriously deep floral taste that she wasn’t familiar with but later learned was parfait d’amour.
The rock cake also has bits of almond in it for a slightly more rocky texture than the others.
For each cake there was an excellent balance of flavors and textures. In each case the gems themselves would have been too sweet and chewy, whereas the cakes would have been too plain and dry on their own. But together, they made perfect harmony.
For that reason alone they’re great, but their stunning visual presentation guarantees they’ll make the perfect souvenir or gift. Even if you can’t get out to Tokyo or Kyoto, Crystal Rock Cake can be purchased online from anywhere in Japan. Quantities are limited though, so act fast or you’ll be able to form your own amethyst waiting for them.
Source: Usagi no Nedoko
Photos ©SoraNews24
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