Mameya Kanazawa Bankyu "Kin Castella"

The signature product of Mameya Kanazawa Bankyu, a creative Japanese sweets shop in Kanazawa. This gorgeous castella is lavishly covered in gold leaf, a famous local specialty, and its striking appearance makes it popular not only as a souvenir but also as a gift for celebratory occasions. Carefully topped with ultra-thin sheets of gold leaf one by one by skilled artisans, it has the beauty of a crafted art piece.

The sponge is made using a method called gosanyaki, which uses more egg yolks than usual, giving it a rich, full-bodied finish. Fine, soft flour suited to castella-making is used, resulting in a moist texture. In addition to the plain version, there is also a matcha flavor made with fragrant matcha from Nodaya Chaten, a long-established tea shop in Kanazawa.

There is also a playful castella that lets you enjoy punching out seasonal motif shapes. The gold leaf section is die-cut, making it fun to punch out the shape yourself. Sets that include plain, matcha, and die-cut varieties are also available.