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| Type | Sponge cake |
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| Place of origin | Portugal,Japan,Taiwan |
| Main ingredients | Flour,sugar,eggs,mizuame |
Castella (カステラ,kasutera;pronounced[kasɯ̥teɾa];pronunciationⓘ) is a type of Japanesesponge cake and is known for its sweet, moistbrioche-style flavour and texture. It is based on cakes introduced to Japan byPortuguese merchants in the 16th century. It was then popularized in the city ofNagasaki, where it is considered a specialty.[1] Despite its foreign origins, it is considered a kind ofwagashi, or traditional Japanese confectionery.[2][3][4]
To suit the tastes of Japanese people,mizuame syrup was added to the sponge cake to make it more moist, andzarame (coarse sugar) was added to the bottom to give it a coarser texture.[5] Castella is usually baked in square or rectangular molds, then cut and sold in long boxes, with the cake inside being approximately 27 cm (11 in) long.
The word "castella" is derived from the PortugueseBolo de Castela, meaning "cake fromCastile".[6][1] Its closest relative ispão-de-ló, a Portuguese cake.Pão-de-ló can be in turned derived from theFrenchPain de lof[7] orGâteau de Savoie.[8]
Similar European sponge cakes also reference Spain in their names, such as inItalian:Pan di Spagna, inPortuguese:Pão d’Espanha, inRomanian:Pandișpan, inBulgarian:пандишпан, inSerbian:патишпањ, inGreek:Παντεσπάνι, and inTurkish:Pandispanya.Castile was a former kingdom ofSpain, comprising its north-central provinces, thus these names are quasi-synonymous with "bread from Castile".
In the 16th century, thePortuguese reached Japan and soon started trade and missionary work.Nagasaki was then the only Japanese port open for foreign commerce. This exchange, called theNanban trade, brought many new things to Japan. The Portuguese introduced things such asguns,tobacco,pumpkins, and cakes baked with wheat flour, eggs, and milk.
Castella cakes could be stored for a long time, and so were useful for the sailors who were out on the sea for months. In theEdo period, in part due to the cost of sugar, castella was an expensive dessert to make despite the ingredients sold by the Portuguese. When theEmperor of Japan's envoy was invited, theTokugawa shogunate presented them with castella cakes.[9] Over the years, the taste changed to suit Japanese palates.
There are now many varieties made with ingredients such aspowdered green tea,brown sugar,chocolate, andhoney. They may be molded in various shapes; a popularJapanese festival food isbaby castella, a bite-sized version.
Siberia (jp), castella cake filled withyōkan (sweet bean jelly), was popular in theMeiji era; it had a resurgence since it appeared in the 2013 animated filmThe Wind Rises, byHayao Miyazaki.[10]
Castella mix is used for the pancakes that are sandwiched together with sweetadzuki bean paste in the confection known asdorayaki.
Castella were first introduced to Taiwan during the age ofTaiwan under Japanese rule. In 1968, Ye Yongqing, the owner of a Japanese bakery in Taipei namedNanbanto, partnered with the Japanese companyNagasaki Honpu to establish a castella business.[11]
Taiwanese style castella (Chinese:古早味蛋糕;pinyin:gǔzǎowèi dàngāo;lit. 'nostalgia flavour cake') is generally moresoufflé-like than the Japanese variety, with a custard like center.[12] A speciality ofTamsui is a simple pillow shaped castella cake.[13] Taiwanese style castella has been introduced into Japan.[12]
In South Korea, Taiwanese castella cake was briefly a fashionable food item until its popularity collapsed due to an oversaturation of cake shops and accusations of excesscooking oil in the cakes.[14] The 2019 filmParasite briefly refers to the Taiwanese castella cake fad as the source of Geun-se's and, by extension, Moon-gwang's financial troubles.
InTomihiko Morimi's novelThe Tatami Galaxy (四畳半神話大系,Yojōhan Shinwa Taikei) and its anime adaptation, castella cake is a recurring element.[15] The protagonist, a Kyoto University student, often encounters slices of castella, which serve as a symbol of his university life and the choices he faces in various parallel universes. The presence of castella highlights its cultural significance in Japan and its association with moments of reflection in the narrative, emphasizing the impact of different life paths on his experiences.
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