These sweets and dishes were invented in Tokyo!

Tokyo is a heaven on earth for food and sweet lovers, and you can find everything in the city – from street foods to fancy and superb gourmet.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Tokyo is one of the best culinary destinations in the world, and today we will introduce sweets and dishes that were invented in Tokyo.

Let’s begin our study of Tokyo’s culinary!

Oyakodon

Oyakodon (親子丼) literally means “parent-and-child rice bowl”, and it’s a classic soul food of Japan.

Chicken (as in parent), egg (as in child), and onions are cooked together in a dashi (fish stocks) and soy sauce then served on a bed of rice.

It is said that oyakodon was invented in Tokyo for the first time in 1887 at Tamahide in Nihombashi.

Japanese mayonnaise

Japanese mayonnaise, which looks more yellow and has creamier texture and thicker consistency than the mayonnaise manufactured in other countries, was invented in 1925 by Kewpie in Tokyo.

Mille crepe

Despite having a French name, mille crepe, which literally means a thousand layers of crepe, is a dessert that was invented in Tokyo, particularly at RUELLE DE DERRIER in Nishi Azabu.

Just like its name, mille crepe consists multiple layers of crepe filled with custard and freshly whipped cream.

Usually, a mille crepe cake has a minimum of 20 layers of crepe, but sometimes it can be more than that if the cake goes thicker.

Katsu curry

Katsu curry is a variation of Japanese curry with pork cutlet, or chicken cutlet on top. British introduced curry to Japan over a 100 years ago, and ever since then, it has become one of the most popular dishes in the country.

However, katsu curry, a heavier, and perhaps, a better version of the plain curry rice, was invented in 1948 at a yoshoku (Japanese-style western food) restaurant called Grill Swiss in Ginza, Tokyo.

Anmitsu

Anmitsu is a traditional Japanese dessert that dates to the Meiji era, but the history says that Wakamatsu, a legendary confectionary shop in Ginza, Tokyo invented anmitsu in 1930.

Anmitsu is made of small cubes of agar jelly, anko (red bean paste), boiled peas, gyūhi (求肥, a softer version of mochi), shiratama, and fruits. Another variations of anmitsu are mitsumame (anmitsu without the anko paste) and cream anmitsu (anmitsu with a scoop of ice cream).