Sado - Ayusuday and Tayaki

Every month, a small village festival with a flea market takes place at the harbor in Ogi. The festival serves as a reminder of the trade route that spanned across Japan and made a stop in Sado and is called Ayusuday. World Unite has an information booth and collects 'Hotpockets,' which are single-use hand warmers. The contents of the pouches will be used for a project we will undertake on another day of the week. In the morning, we spend time playing a game invented by the festival organizer. We move our little ships on the game board, which represents a map of Japan, following the trade route. In the ports, we buy and sell goods, and the person who collects the most money in the end wins. We have lunch in the hall and then take a leisurely stroll around the harbor town. First, we visit a small shrine located on top of a hill, offering a beautiful view of the city. We walk through a small piece of forest and along the sea back to the town. As in almost all cities on the island, there is an almost abandoned shopping street where less than one-tenth of the stores are still in operation. They try to maintain the houses somewhat, so the street doesn't look too run-down. In a particularly deserted-looking section of the street, a single shop is open. It looks too new compared to the rest of the surroundings, and a sweet pastry and coffee aroma waft from it. It feels a bit like a fairy tale, and the shop is some kind of trap designed to lure people in. It belongs to a young man (for Sado) who produces Tayaki with local ingredients here. Tayaki are fish-shaped filled waffles, and I am instantly thrilled. I love Tayaki, and I haven't had good ones in a long time since, in Germany, you can only get pre-packaged ones from Asian stores, if at all. We unanimously decide that we urgently need to go inside. There are many different varieties, and in addition to the classic Anko bean filling, there are also purple sweet potato, Mochi, and ham-cheese fillings. I decide to start with Anko, as you can never go wrong with it. The Tayaki are already prepared in a bamboo basket and only need to be briefly warmed in a small oven. They are handed to you in a paper bag, and each variety has its own bag labeled with the name. I am ecstatic when I finally get my Tayaki, and they are the best I've ever had. The crust is nice and crispy on the outside from being warmed, and the bean paste is only lightly mashed, so there are still small bean pieces in it. I definitely have to come back here. And yes, I just wrote a whole text about how delicious these Tayaki are. The next one will be more exciting, sorry xD