pretty pretty yum yum

French gateaux are mecha (very, very) popular in Japan, and none more so than a chestnut cream cake called a monburan (Mont Blanc). Named after the highest mountain in France, the original version consists of a mini sponge cake topped with chestnut cream, then covered in strands of chestnut puree until it’s as high as its namesake, and sprinkled with icing sugar ‘snow’. It usually looks like this, but pictured above is the strawberry variety from SOGO in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. Underneath the pink ‘noodles’ of icing were strawberry cream, jam and cake. In France, a Mont Blanc is chestnut-topped meringue instead of cake. But here’s a great recipe for the Japanese version. GANBATTE! (Good luck!)