Taking a stroll in Japan, you’re bound to come across any number of culinary curiosities. Taking a turn in the Ueno zoo proves our point. Braving the cold, the Tokyo residents, led by their eager children, crowd around this noisy stand, which emits a mild sugary aroma. 

La queue devant le stand de la machine

Dorayaki traditionnelle (©Tzong-Lin Tsai/Creative Commons)

In Japan, it’s common to come across these little brioches stuffed with kidney bean pastry at pastry stands or street stalls. Here they are made in the image of pandas, but, with the nearby zoo in mind, they also take the form of other animals. However, they most often take the shape of pancakes. It must be said that once these cakes are cold and far away from the elegant machine, they quickly lose their appeal for the adult palate (although they remain popular with the little ones).

Here’s a short video of this strange snack-making machine: