(Injorumi Pan | Injeolmi Bread)
General Description
Today we have an interesting treat for a few reasons! Originally I had bought this pan for myself just as a snack, but as soon as I ate it, I knew I had to review it. There was no way I couldn't talk about this one. So the next time I saw it, I bought one for Yue and me to eat and review. Then later I realized I forgot to take a picture of the pan before I cut it so I just had to buy another one. For the review, of course.
As you might have guessed, the globe on the top right side of the package notes that this product is a "deliciousness from around the world." If you're like me and had no idea what injeolmi is, it's a Korean rice cake made with rice flour and covered with a dried bean powder. I'm not very familiar with injeolmi, but it seems kinda like mochi? However it also looks like there are injeolmi breads and desserts! I wonder if I can find some in Tokyo...
But that's for another day! Today we're looking at Yamazaki's injeolmi-inspired pan! The pan is dusted with kinako (dried soybean flour) on top and filled with tsubuan (coarse red bean paste) and kinako whipped cream.
Side note, I like how the package straight up shows that the bun is not filled all the way. It's honest!
Review
- Price
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106 JPY (1 pan) - Taste
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The pan itself is pretty standard but nice. It's like a baguette or roll. There's kinako on top of the pan. It's hard to describe the taste of kinako because it is its own unique taste. I think it tastes hearty and earthy. I know it doesn't taste like nuts, but it tastes nutty to me, if that makes sense. The powder on its own isn't super strong.
The tsubuan is really nice. It's got only a slight hint of sweetness, so it tastes "natural". The kinako whipped cream tastes amazing. It brings out the taste of the kinako. It's got a bit of creaminess and sweetness to it, but it's also hearty. It kinda reminds of peanut whipped cream.
Both the tsubuan and the kinako have a heavy, earthy taste to them so they go well together. - Texture
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The pan is soft like the inside of a baguette. The outside isn't hard though. The kinako is dry like cinnamon, so be careful of getting a mouthful. The whipped cream is light and airy. The tsubuan is "coarse" so it has bits of soft but still solid red bean in it.
- Smell
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There's a slight sweet, kinako smell.
- Overall
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I love this. It's so great. It's just sweet enough to feel like a dessert or treat without becoming a sugar overdose. It has a "mature" or sophisticated flavour. It's also very filling. I don't usually see tsubuan and kinako together nor kinako whipped cream, making this pan unique. Altogether, it has an amazing taste and texture. - Would I try again?
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Yes. I have already tried it again. 3 times now. And many more times to come! Please try it if you see it!