London: Japanese raindrop cake has taken the internet by storm. A transparent drop cake, it appears as a solid bubble of water.
Besides the appearance, its self-destructing mechanism is a matter of fascination. The Japanese water cake is believed to dissolve into the water if not eaten within 30 minutes of being served.
It is made up of water from the Southern Japanese Alps which is solidified just enough to be given a shape. The water from these mountains is believed to be so tasty that it does not need any flavouring.
In theory, the water is solidified using agar-agar and is then put into a spherical mould to be set. Traditionally known as Mizu Shingen Mochi, it is sold at very few stores and cannot be packed for 'to-go' parcel because of its short shelf-life.
Mizu in Japanese means water and Mochi is a kind of dessert made of rice flour. The transparent water cake is usually served with roasted soybean powder - known as Kinako - and black sugar syrup - known as Kuromitsu. It also goes well with honey and peanut powder.
