All Reviews for Cooking Classes

Although I occasionally make Western sweets, I rarely have the opportunity to make Japanese sweets, so I decided to make a reservation for an interesting experience. It was a bit far from the center of Arashiyama, but it was a wonderful Japanese sweets shop.

When I made my reservation, there happened to be around 20 Taiwanese university students there for their graduation trip. Since they didn't understand the language, I was curious about how they would be taught, but the Japanese sweets artisan came around to show us how to make the sweets up close. Everyone seemed to be having a great time!

I’m not very skilled, but I was able to make some Japanese sweets that I was quite satisfied with. I made three types of wagashi (hydrangea, dianthus, and dew of the village) and kizatō (a type of cut-out sweet). The world of delicate Japanese sweets is intricate, but they teach you each step carefully, so even someone like me could do it. Using a spatula and cloth to make the sweets was a very refreshing experience.

Each type had slightly different methods, which made it fun. After finishing the sweets, we could enjoy them on the spot with matcha. I got to eat the sweets I made along with the matcha, and I could take the other sweets home as souvenirs. It was great! I definitely want to try making them again!

洋菓子を作ることは（たまに）あってもなかなか和菓子を作ることはないため、面白い体験をしてみたく予約してみました。
嵐山の中心街から若干遠いですが、とても素敵な和菓子さんでした。
私が予約した時はちょうど台湾の大学生の卒業旅行と重なり、20名前後の人がいました。
その人たちは言葉がわからないので、どうやって教えるのかなってと思っていたら、和菓子職人さん近くまでまわってきてもらって、作り方を近くで教えてくれましたよ。みんなすごくキャッキャしてて楽しそうでした！
自分の分については私は不器用なのですが、わりと満足いく和菓子を作ることとができました。
上生菓子3つ（紫陽花、撫子、露の里）ときざと（切り抜きのようなお菓子）を作りました。
繊細な和菓子の世界ですが、1つ1つ丁寧に教えてくれるので、こんな私でも作ることができました。ヘラや布巾を使って作るのもとても新鮮な体験でしたね。
それぞれちょっとずつ作り方も違うので楽しかったです。
お菓子を作り終わった後は、お抹茶と一緒にその場で食べることができます。自分で作ったお菓子と抹茶。そして他のお菓子は持ち帰れるんです。お土産にもなってよかったです。また是非作ってみたいと思いました！

Be prepared to enter the kitchen of the traditional Kyoto housing! Being 6’ 1” & weighing 180lbs, a kitchen made for the standard Japanese physic was tight! Still the instructor was well prepared so stress was minimal once the class began.

If the first shock was the kitchen size, the next was that Japanese dishes are prepared with 3 or 4 primary seasonings! Sounded simple until the instructor took out a wood like object for the main seasoning!

This dried bonito (not wood) collaborating with the dried kelp broth created the “Dashi” used in each dish prepared. The broth flavorful, but not too strong, enhanced the flavor of each ingredient, making each dish taste differently. Truly surprising!

And the accompaniment of the instructor during the meal was a delight too. I got me additional cooking tips and table manners to take home!

My goal in taking this course was to surprise my Japanese wife. And the written recipe (included in the course) came in very handy back home!