Hokkaido Mille Crepe (Frozen)

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

The Hokkaido Mille Crepe is a classic yogashi (Western-style/inspired confection), and is made with layers of crepes, alternated with fluffy flavored cream. Its name translates to “a thousand crepes,” but is of course, not made of a thousand crepes. It was inspired by the French “gâteau de crêpes.”

Our Hokkado Mille Crepe uses Hokkaido milk, which is known for its smoothness, creaminess, and richness, with a subtle vanilla flavor. We have four options to choose from, too. The Milk flavor of the Hokkaido Mille Crepe is creamy and rich, with a wonderful milky-vanilla flavor. The Matcha Hokkaido Mille Crepe has a distinct matcha flavor, balanced out by the sweetness of the azuki (red bean). The Chocolate Hokkaido Mille Crepe has a strong chocolate flavor, but wonderfully balanced between slightly bitter and sweet. And the Ichigo Hokkaido Mille Crepe is arguably the best one, layered with Japanese strawberry cream. All four are light and airy, with a sweetness that is not at all cloying.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

These arrive to you frozen, and ready-to-eat. Simply thaw them, and serve! Enjoy your Hokkaido Mille Crepe during tea time or merienda, or as a dessert after meals. It’s great to pair with some coffee, or a fragrant hot tea.

FROM FRANCE TO JAPAN

Although crepe cakes have long been popular in French cuisine as “gâteau de crêpes,” Japanese pastry expert Emy Wada is credited as having created the modern mille crepe cake.

In the 1980s, Emy started selling flavored crepe cakes at her pastry shop, Paper Moon Cake Boutique. According to this interview, Emy designed the current crepe cake to maintain the freshness of the crepes. Crepes dry out rapidly due to their extreme thinness. Emy realized, however, that stacking them in layers between different fillings kept the silky textures of the crepes. She then dubbed her concoction “mille crepes,” a combination of crêpes and mille-feuille, two iconic French sweets.

Storage Instructions

Keep frozen. Once thawed, consume immediately.