This Shizuoka specialty is similar to a rusk, a crusty European cookie. The secret ingredient is eel powder (basically soup stock made out of eel bones), which is kneaded into the dough before being baked to perfection. Although it doesn’t impart much actual eel flavor, some people think that eel is a great way to re-energize after a long day of work, and that the eel pie has the same power.

Another delicious specialty from Shizuoka, Kokko is a delicate spongecake-like cupcake with cream inside. The name loosely translates to “treasury,” and is a riff on the onomatopoeia in Japanese for chickens, which explains its adorable chicken mascot. The ingredients are fairly simple: eggs, milk, cream, and special groundwater only found in Shizuoka. The standard flavor is a milk cream, but there are also seasonal green tea and strawberry flavors as well. Their slogan is “No one in Shizuoka doesn’t know” about Kokko.

Uiro is a mochi-like dessert made from non-glutinous rice and sugar, and another specialty of Aichi. While its texture is similar to mochi, it is gently steamed, giving it a softer, cooler mouth feel.

The unique color palette of this dessert is more than just eye-pleasing—it’s indicative of the different flavors available and additional ingredients involved in production. Flavors are subtly sweet and range from classic crowd-pleasers like red bean and green tea to chestnut and yuzu (a Japanese citrus).