Black Sesame Ice Cream In Nikko, Japan
Nikko is famous for its shrines, the foremost being the tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who is familiar to millions of people around the world from watching the TV series Shogun. He was the founder of the Tokugawa clan that seized control of Japan at the start of the seventeenth century and ruled it for the next two-hundred and sixty years. His successors built a series of spectacular temples in Nikko, making it a great religious centre.
The largest complex in Nikko is the Toshogu Shrine, the memorial to Tokugawa Ieyasu, which includes a five-story pagoda covered in gold leaf set among a dozen other buildings. Ieyasu’s son and grandson, who built most of these structures, were careful to make their own mausoleums smaller and less imposing as a sign of filial devotion. The buildings are covered with colourful carvings, many of them famous in their own right, including those of a cat, monkeys, dragons and elephants. There is even a sacred stable, devoted to the memory of Tokugawa Ieyasu's favourite horse. Fearsome warriors and red hued demons stand guard at the entrance to the shrines.
The Shinkyô Bridge in Nikko, we were told, marks the spot where an eighth century Buddhist monk found himself unable to cross the raging waters of the river. Undaunted, he summoned a giant serpent that stretched across the chasm, allowing the monk to walk across. The gracefully curving wooden bridge that was later built across the river evokes memories of the red serpent and is now one of the most popular tourist spots in Japan. We were not entirely convinced by the origin story, but the bridge is certainly a beautiful sight against the backdrop of the mountains that surround Nikko.
We climbed dozens of steeply stepped paths lined by alleys of tall cedars to get to the different shrines spread across Nikko. Each is surrounded by meticulously landscaped gardens that are carefully designed to blend into the surrounding hills and forests. People make repeated visits to Nikko to see it in different seasons as the trees change colour. Fall is one of the most popular times as the leaves turn to hues of red, yellow and gold.
Nikko is an easy 90-minute train ride from Tokyo, making it an extremely popular day trip for tourists. But it is worth spending more time there to soak in the beauty of the surrounding wilderness, or to stay in one of the onsens in the area and enjoy an invigorating soak in a hot spring. Follow it up with a great meal in one of the many excellent restaurants serving local delicacies.
Yuba is one of Nikko's most traditional and famous delicacies, made by skimming the skin off hot soy milk. It is very versatile and is used in many dishes. We had yuba ramen, yuba gyoza and even Japanese curry yuba! My favourite, Yuba ramen had the tofu skin tightly rolled up and immersed in a flavourful broth with slurpy noodles. Azuma, a popular, bustling restaurant near the Tobu train station was one of our favourite places to indulge in yuba dishes. Try it if you happen to be in Nikko, you won’t regret it!
Another delicacy to try out when you’re in Japan is Black Sesame Ice Cream, a favourite of ours that we sought out everywhere we went! Rich, nutty and delicious, it is easy to make at home. It is perfect when served by itself or paired with a handful of assorted berries scattered around it. Cut back on the condensed milk a little if you want your ice cream to be less sweet.
Black Sesame Ice Cream
1 can (300 ml) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (370 ml) evaporated milk
1 1/4 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1/2 cup good quality black sesame paste
1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk and whipping cream in a mixing bowl. Mix well.
Blend in the black sesame paste and vanilla essence (if using), until smooth.
Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Churn ice cream in an ice cream maker, following manufacturer's directions.
Cover ice cream mixture tightly and freeze overnight.
Scoop into serving bowls and serve
Note: You can also make this ice cream without an ice cream maker following the instructions below:
Freeze ice cream mixture overnight. Remove ice cream from freezer, uncover and rest at room temperature for 1 hour or until ice cream is starting to thaw and soften. Break up ice cream into smaller pieces with a knife. Using a hand blender, blend ice cream until it is smooth.
Cover and freeze again for another 2 - 4 hours or longer.
Scoop into serving bowls and serve.
Serves six
