1. Kishimen Pie (Aoyagi Sōhonke)
Kishimen is a famous noodle dish from Nagoya that has the consistency of udon but has a flat shape. The Kishimen pie was inspired by this dish. Thin layers of the pie have been arranged one on top of another, creating a distinctive crispy texture. Kishimen noodles use bonito fish flakes, so the pie also has bonito flake extract kneaded into the dough. Don't worry - you will still be able to enjoy the sweetness of the pie.
2. Kaeru Manju (Aoyagi Sōhonke)
As suggested by the name, this is a manju bun in the shape of a frog. Like the Kishimen pie, this souvenir is also sold at the Aoyagi Sōhonke. Along with the popular koshi-an (smooth red bean paste), there is a total of five different flavors, including sweet potato, chocolate, green tea and cherry blossom. The green tea is mixed with the sweet bean paste and you can enjoy the slight bitterness of the tea in the flavor.
3. Aoyagi Uirō (Aoyagi Sōhonke)
Uirō is a type of traditional Japanese confectionery made of rice flour, sugar, and hot water that have been mixed and kneaded together. It is widely known in Japan as a confectionery specialty of Nagoya, Aichi prefecture. Aoyagi Uirō comes in five flavors: white (plain sugar flavor), black (brown sugar flavor), green tea flavor, agari (smooth red bean flavor) and cherry blossom flavor.
Biting into the agari, one tastes the flavor of the rich red bean instantly. It has a firm texture, but it can be cut easily. It also appears to be very sticky, but is soft enough and will not stick to the inside of your mouth. The green tea flavor has a bold taste of green tea.
4. Oni Manju (Namikoshiken)
Oni manju ("Ogre manju") is also known as sweet potato manjū. This is a specialty of Aichi that uses chunks of sweet potatoes. It comes in a set of three flavors: the standard white oni manjū, a brown oni manjū that uses brown sugar and another type of white oni manjū with sweet potato with the skin left on. The taste of the sweet potato is the strongest in the brown bun. It has a denser flavor while the white one has a lighter taste. This is a great souvenir that brings out the sweetness of the potato and the flavors of all the ingredients.
5. Akafuku
These yummy little glutinous rice-wrapped balls of sweet red bean paste come from Ise Jingu's home of Mie Prefecture. Their history stretches back more than 300 years and they are loved by people far and wide. If you venture into one of Akafuku's retail locations, you can enjoy green tea-flavored shaved ice in the summer or sweet red bean soup in the winter. Both are delicious, so you can't go wrong, no matter what time of year it might be.
6. Ebi Sembei (Shrimp Crackers) Yukari (Bankaku Sōhonpo)
Ebi sembei Yukari is a sembei cracker where the dough is pressed between two metallic plates to bring out the flavor of the shrimp. Upon opening the bag, you will instantly smell the delicious fragrance of the raw ingredients. Seven shrimps are used to produce just one cracker.
The senbei have a nice crunch to them and you will be able to savor the flavor of shrimp on every bite. Even after you finish eating, the shrimp flavor still remains in your mouth. However, the taste is not too bold, so one is tempted to eat them in large quantities.