From Siberia with Love - And red bean jelly - 【sweets tales】

Sweets Tales Today's tale is of a mysterious highbrow sweet called "Siberia". The era is Taisho (1912-1926), a period of glamour and romance. Siberia was a popular menu item with chic young women in the coffee houses in Tokyo at the time. 100 years later, here in Asakusa, Tokyo... Have you heard to Siberia? And no wonder. Siberia is a cake unique to Japan. Right behind Asakusa Temple is a sweets shop that still sells Siberia. Shop owner Toshie Matoba has been running this bakery for 34 years to accompany her husband's anko manufacturing business. The unique variations of bread have made the store popular. The siberia can be found in the cake display. People ask me what this is called, but I'm not really sure why they names it Siberia either. There are several theories on the origin of the name Siberia. Add egg and sugar to flour and bake into a delicate castella cake. The dark portion in the middle is soft red bean jelly. But why the name 'Siberia'? Is it because it looks like a railway running across the Siberian tundra? Or is it because it resembles the permafrost of Siberia. Or maybe because it was created by a baker enlisted in the Russo-Japanese War? Whatever the case, this graceful design represents the modernism of the Taisho Era. It looks beautiful. Like a noblewoman. It's just too hard to choose between anpan or siberia. Anpan for today, Siberia for tomorrow. Be sure to try this timeless treat for yourself.