Over the moon: Morozoff’s limited Tsukimi pudding and cheesecake
In Japan, the bulk of the festivals are held during summer. The good weather and warm evenings are perfect for strolling around in a yukata and visiting the shrines with all of their stalls. September marks the end of summer but does so with one final celebration, O-Tsukimi (お月見) or the “Moon Festival”.
(Image credit: photoAC)
Rice has been an important staple of Japanese cuisine since the country was formed. As such, its harvest season is celebrated with offerings to the gods and gestures of gratitude to everyone who contributed to the cultivation. September is the harvesting season in many countries and also the time when the days start getting shorter and the moon brightly illuminates the starry sky. Most commonly known as the Harvest Moon.
(Image credit: photoAC)
When the Harvest Moon takes place changes every year as the moon can be fickle, but the time is usually around mid-September. In Japan, they say the shadows on the moon look like two rabbits pounding mochi (餅 rice cakes) with a mallet. This association might come from the fact that mochi is made from rice, which is freshly harvested every year in September. The appearance of the rabbits however has a vague origin but children are commonly told that there is a colony of rabbits living on the moon.
(Image credit: Ilse Montald)
So what do you do on Otsukimi? It is a time to gaze upon the moon and appreciate its beauty while munching on some mochi—like the rabbits do. But in modern times, this can also be replaced with some cheesecake or pudding. Kobe’s (神戸) famous sweets store Morozoff releases a Tsukimi pudding and cheesecake every year and with a limited release of 14 days, so this writer here had no other choice but to line up in the early morning at the main store in Kobe to get a chance to buy their limited desserts. The Tsukimi collection can be bought at any Morozoff store in the country, but I always like to visit the main store in Kobe to see and smell their chocolate wall. What better way to get a limited item than right from the source?
(Image credit: Ilse Montald)
The Tsukimi pudding is the regular Morozoff pudding with a topping of orange jelly shaped like a Harvest Moon. The usual caramel bottom has been replaced by a slightly bigger portion of milk jelly. This year’s cheesecake design is two cute round rabbits created with powdered sugar on top of a Danish cheesecake. Danish Cheesecake is actually a common delicacy in Japan and most stores that first started making cakes from this imported cheese are from Kobe. In fact, Morozoff was founded in 1931 and was the first company to introduce Valentine’s Day to Japan. With a history that rich, Morozoff has become part of the local culture as many keep the glass pudding jars to use for drinking or as a decorative item.
(Image credit: Ilse Montald)
Cutting slices from the cheesecake feels a bit weird as you separate the cute rabbits, but the taste soon washes away all the guilt. The addition of orange jelly and upping the amount of milk in the pudding seemed like a match that wouldn’t work but surprisingly does. Once I tried the pudding together with the orange jelly I could sense why they lowered the usually high amount of egg yellows that gives Morozoff its rich pudding taste. The return is a milder milky taste that fits much better with the fruity orange topping. A match made in heaven. Or should I say, on the moon.
When the moon is waning and you are done gazing at its beauty, I hope that you would have enjoyed the desserts that accompanied you. If you’re not in Japan during September, I do still recommend visiting a department store to try one of Morozoff’s classic cheesecakes or pudding. Not only are they extremely delicious, they’re also part of the history of Western desserts that have found their way into Japan via the Port of Kobe.
Morozoff Kobe Main Store (Morozoff 神戸本店)
Address: 1-8-1 Sannomiya-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo 650-0021
Nearest station: JR Sannomiya Station
Access: 5-minute walk from the station
Opening hours: 11am–8pm
Tel: +81 78-391-8718
*The availability of featured items may vary according to each store across Japan
Header image: Ilse Montald & photoAC
Related Articles
Ilse Montald
Latest Topics
