10/2/2007

This delightful sponge cake was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese. The cake is a popular street food sold all over Japan especially during festivals. Now a specialty of Nagasaki, the cake is thought to be originally from Spain, brought by way of Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. The name is derived from Portuguese pão de Castella, meaning “bread from Castile”. Castella cake is usually sold in long boxes, with the cake inside being approximately 27cm long. It is somewhat similar to English madeira cake, also associated with Portugal. Note that there are similar types of sponge cakes named after the same fashion, in French: Pain d’Espagne, in Italian: Pan di Spagna, in Greek: Pantespani (Castile is a former kingdom of Spain comprising its central provinces, thus “Pain d’Espagne’ is quasi synonymous to “bread from Castile”).

Castella is made of natural ingredients, so its simple taste is a favorite of many Japanese people. There are now many varieties made with ingredients such as powdered green tea, brown sugar, and honey. They may be molded in various shapes; a popular Japanese festival food is baby castella, a bite-sized version.

Just Hungry has a wonderful Kasutera recipe, it would do you good to check it out. Also the author of the blog is ahalf Japanese living abroad. She has lived in Japan throughout her childhood and said that she has fond memories of Kasutera during tea time :)