Strawberry shortcake was introduced to Japan in the Taisho era, but nobody knows who exactly introduced it. It may have been Kadokura Kuniteru (the guy who started a big bakery called Colombin) adapting a French cake to Japan, or Fujiya (another bakery that is still mighty popular today) borrowing the strawberry shortcake eaten in the US. At some point (Fujiya claims they did it), the biscuits in an American shortcake were switched for genoise or sponge cake, supposedly because Japanese people liked soft desserts better. At the time, Japan was extremely interested in the west, and western cake carried a certain image of glamour and luxury, but they had too few refrigerators and too much war until 1955, when it really took off.
Strawberry shortcake is everywhere in Japan. Pretty much every cafe and bakery will sell you some kind of shortcake. If you ask Japanese people to think of cake, many, many of them will think of strawberry shortcake first. Fujiya and Colombin are both famous bakeries, and Fujiya's mascot Peko is just EVERYWHERE. Cake made with sponge cake, red berries, and whipped cream has appeared in all sorts of media, including a certain game series. You know which one I mean.
Strawberry shortcake is easy on the eyes, as far as I'm concerned. It's red strawberries on white whipped cream---I had four cakes planned for Christmas and they were all blown away after I looked at a few little pictures of strawberry shortcake. No, I don't need pistachios or pudding cake. I. Need. Shortcake.
Quick notes for my own consumption
-syrup was good
-vanilla was really awesome
-do the hot water thing next time
( This recipe is a work in progress. )Is it okay if I have Speedy Cat stuck in my head? (今さら) How about if I think it's a perfect match for the new remix of idolm@ster? No?
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