Authentic Cheese Manju by Okashi no Hidaka, Miyazaki, Japan

The cheese manju was invented in Miyazaki in around 1980 as a twist on a local pastry. I got to try it recently from a patisserie that wasn't one of the original inventors, but which is known for premium quality pastries blending Western techniques with Japanese flavours. 

The original cheese manju was an absolute treat. It was actually more Western in feel overall, with the exterior like a buttery and crumbly sablé wrapping a cream cheesecake filling. 

The cheese filling came across as very smooth and dense, close to a rare cream cheesecake without the tang of lemon or yogurt that is normally found in New York or Western cheesecakes. It was also not eggy or fluffy, but dense in texture and light in flavour, so it was not at all like the fluffy Japanese steamed cheesecakes.

There were bits of raisins in the sable crust too that had a bit of sweet tang. I initially thought it might be a cranberry before reading the ingredients list. You can barely see it in the picture of the cheese filling as a little reddish spot in the cookie-like crust.

The ingredients are very pure as you can see below. They are very Western, with almond powder (perhaps giving the crust the sable cookie feel), butter, butter oil, actual cream, cream cheese of course, butter milk powder, egg and so on. There didn't seem to be any mizuame or bean paste like most traditional Japanese confectioneries.

 This was the wrapper. 

Finally, the shop along Tachibana Doori (Tachibana Street) had a very nice indoor seat with the traditional huge bright red Japanese umbrella. It was very comfortable, but there was no trash can because perhaps they don't expect people to dine substantially there.

 

Discover other manju, cheese and Japanese-French treats

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  Authentic Sakura Fare Part 2: Sakura Warabimochi, Sakura Daifuku, Sakura Bean Cake, Sakura Manju and Pickled Sakura Flowers from Japan
• Tiramisu Daifuku, Sea Salt Cheese Daifuku and other flavours by Luckin Coffee
• Matcha and Sakura Burnt Cheesecake and Dirty Yuzu Nitro Cold by Cafe Yasuragi
• Blueberry Cheese Ball Shigure (Blueberry Bean Cake) by Minamoto Kitchoan
• Purple Potato and Green Tea Red Bean Manju
• Red Velvet Cream Cheese Brownie by Butterbear from Thailand
• Curry Cheese Bread by Giraffa Curry Bread Specialist from Japan