it's already a week into May!!!

 

Hello.

The wisteria in our neighbourhood park has started to bloom.

It's finally getting warmer (or rather, hot when the sun is shining) and it's the season when you want to sit outside and have a cup of tea.

An-an is doing well today, too.

Although Children's Day on 5 May has already passed, we will continue to make Kashiwa Mochi.

I saw on a Youtube news programme that during Golden Week in Japan, there was a huge crowd of tourists from overseas and domestic tourists during Golden Week. As usual, the Japanese yen seems to be flying low, and shopping in the UK is strictly forbidden to be converted into Japanese yen. You won't be able to buy anything 💦.

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This month's sweets.

Strawberry Daifuku

We make lots of these with delicious British strawberries!

Kashiwa Mochi

Koshi An (sweet red bean paste)

Miso-an

Yomogi tsubu-an

Young sweetfish

A sweetfish snack for early summer.

An-an's young sweetfish has yuzu-flavoured gyuhi inside.

　

We would like to make as many strawberry shortcakes and strawberry mille crepes as possible, but the cakes on display change from day to day. 

We are also currently taking orders for birthday cakes and anniversary cakes.

Please book early as cakes will be ready 7 days after we receive your order.

For reservations, please contact info@an-an.co.uk.

Basic prices (as of May 2024): 8" (20cm) shortcake ￡40, mille crepe ￡43. Additional charges apply for the use of matcha green tea and special fruits. A box fee is also added for Take Away.

For more information on the range of cakes, see Instagram.

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From the 21st to the 31st of this month, TOTO will be holding an event at their showroom in London, and they will be using an-an's Japanese sweets.

Oh, I think I need more explanations....

TOTO is famous for its Washlet. Yes, in the film "Perfect Days", which was also released in the UK this spring, there are many scenes where Koji Yakusho, who plays the leading role, is carefully cleaning the washlet.

TOTO said, they would like to invite a gardener to their showroom in London to create a Karesansui (dry landscape garden), where they would like to entertain their guests with an-an's three-coloured dango and tea. "How many dumplings would you like?" I asked him,

TOTO "300 dumplings"
an-an: "Oh, that's fine. If it's that many, we made them when we had a stall at the Japan Festival." 

So I visited the showroom in London. They showed us illustrations of their plans and told us that they could offer the guests freshly steamed three-coloured dangos during the event. 
So, business was concluded.

And a few days later.
TOTO: "It looks like 300 dumplings won't be enough, can you order 600?"
an-an: "Eh? Ah, well, we have made them before when we had a stall at Hyper Japan, so I think we'll be fine."

And a week later.
TOTO: "I was able to borrow a freezer to store the three-coloured dumplings before steaming.And it looks like it can hold 1,000 dumplings, so can I have 1,000 dumplings please?"
an-an: "............. One, I will make it (I haven't experienced this number yet 💧 Oh, dear...)."

And then an issue arises: can we get enough materials for 1,000 dangos?

To be continued in the next blog.

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And the information about the event will be this image. Everyone is welcome.

Many people want to bring the Japanese toilets by themselves...

There installation problem, and many people may have given up.

This is an opportunity to ask an expert. 

Please visit this event!.