Baumkuchen Cake (2005-02-10)
One of our visiting friends from overseas made an observation of Japan that I couldn't agree with him more, that is how Japanese seem to be able to borrow products belonging to other countries and make them ten times better here. Products from automobiles to food are being improved greatly once they fall into the hands of Japanese workers. Our friend's comment was a direct result of his eating baumkuchen cake bought from the food section of a department store. He had tried this native German cake in Germany and thought nothing of it, in fact he didn't like it very much at all there. When he was in Tokyo, he saw those cakes and tried a piece. He said it was just delicious and marveled at the Japanese pastry chef's ability to make a yummy German cake even the locals fail to do.
I don't need to taste baumkuchen to know what he meant. I have
had much better Italian food in Tokyo than I had in Rome.
Although the prices of things are high in Tokyo, the quality you get
well compensates for the expense. I consider myself lucky living
in this city, even though I don't eat cakes.
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