Japanese Food Tips

Gateau chocolat is a baked pastry using chocolate as the main ingredient, and apparently originated in France in the 1700s. In Japan, gateau chocolat was given a Japanese twist in the 1980s, and that is how it became popular. Compared to its Japanese counterpart, the French gateau chocolat is a popular confectionery that does not require a strong heat to fully enjoy the rare and rich chocolate flavor. In Japan, chocolate batter and meringue are generally mixed and baked together, resulting in a fluffy, moist texture and a rich, robust, sweet flavor that is the most appealing feature. Compared to typical Japanese chocolate cakes, gateau chocolat contains less flour and instead uses plenty of chocolate and butter, which gives it a deep aroma and richness of cacao at first taste. Brownies, a chocolate cake originating in the U.S., are similar to gateau chocolat and are a more popular chocolate confectionery in Japan, but most brownies are square in shape, while gateau chocolates vary in shape. There are also slight differences in the cooking process. While gateau chocolat uses egg yolks and egg whites separately, brownies are made with whole eggs and all ingredients are simply mixed together, making them easier to make than gateau chocolat. Also, compared to gateau chocolat, brownies contain more chocolate and are very moist in the mouth. Few Japanese people may know the difference between gateau chocolat and brownies. Gateau chocolat is extremely expensive and available in Japan only at very high-quality bakeries and hotels.