A strawberry and red bean rice cake ICHIGO DAIFUKU いちご大福

A strawberry and red bean rice cake いちご大福

This is a Japanese confectionery called Ichigo Daifuku. Sweet red bean paste and a whole strawberry is coated with a sticky rice cake.

It is mainly sold in certain seasons as strawberries grow from January to May in Japan.

This a 2-pack of Ichigo Daifuku いちご大福 was 300 yen at a shop.

You can find it at supermarkets, department stores and confectionery stores.

Anko あんこ is sweet red bean paste. There are 2 types of Anko.
Tsubuan つぶあん is mushed Anko containing pieces of red beans skin.
Koshian こしあん is really smooth Anko. It likes cream in texture.

I prefer Ichigo Daifuku of Koshian (smooth red bean paste) as shown below.

Sticky rice cake is soft and a bit sweet. Yummy!

Originally a whole strawberry would be inside.

A strawberry and red bean rice cake いちご大福 ICHIGO DAIFUKU

This Ichigo Daifuku was 270 yen. (including tax)

These days many shops put the strawberry on the rice cake because the shops and people think that when the strawberry is on top, it is more instragrammable.

If your purpose is not for taking an Instagrammable photo, I highly recommend you eat an original one where the strawberry is inside, because when you bite the original one, the strawberry changes like jam mixed with sweet been paste and rice cake in your mouth. It tastes very good.

When the strawberry is on it, you will taste strawberry and red bean rice cake separately. I think this is not real Ichigo Daifuku and it doesn't taste as good.