Raindrop by Darren Wong, New York Raindrop by Darren Wong, New York
Raindrop by Darren Wong, New York Raindrop by Darren Wong, New York
Raindrop by Darren Wong, New York Raindrop by Darren Wong, New York

Drip feeding

26 : 04 : 2016 Raindrop Cake : Mineral Water : Water Cake

New York – Chef Darren Wong is introducing New Yorkers to one of Japan’s culinary oddities, the water cake.

  • The sweet dessert contains agar, a seaweed derivative that enables it to hold its shape for around 30 minutes
  • Wong’s recipe made its debut at the Smorgasburg outdoor market in Brooklyn

Inspired by mizu shingen mochi, a traditional Japanese water-based cake, Wong’s Raindrop Cake is calorie-free, and sweetened by an accompaniment of molasses-like sugar and kinako, a roasted soybean flour.

The giant droplet is held together with a mix of mineral water and agar. Specially designed containers protect each dewy morsel from sudden movements and fluctuations in temperature until they are ready to be served.

‘The cake has to maintain its shape but still have the texture of water,’ says Wong. ‘It's not about flavour or nutrients, it’s about the texture.

The Big Picture

Western diets are increasingly influenced by Japanese culture. London’s Twig Teas has launched a range of cold brew teas inspired by a brewing method used in Kanazawa.

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