In Love with Mont Blanc December 28. 2006

Last Christmas eve, we had a rather special cake that is quite popular here in Japan. The name is "Mont Blanc," pronounced as "Monburan" in Japanese. I've never really thought about what the name means, except that it sounds French. We bought the cake from La Cote d' Azure, one the most popular bakeries here in Tsukuba.

 

What is Mont Blanc? I tried looking it up in Google, but couldn't find any comprehensive information about the cake. When I tried searching for related images, I found out that most of the photos belonged to Japanese sites. So I tried searching using "モンブラン ケーキ (Monburan　Ke-ki)" instead. Here's what I got from Wikipedia, Japanese edition (By the way, if the text below looks trashy, change the encoding of your browser to Unicode (UTF-8). There are Japanese characters below and might not be displayed properly.):

 

モンブランとは、 をふん んに使ったケーキである。山の形に似せて作ったことからこう呼ばれる。名前の由来は、アルプスのモンブランであり、フランス語で白い山を意味する。フランス語ではケーキは 「Mont Blanc aux marrons」 と呼ばれる。尚、上に降りかけられる白い粉 糖は雪を表している。山名と同様にイタリアではモンテ・ビアンコと呼ばれる。

 

典型的には、カップケーキ型のスポンジ生地やメレンゲ、タルト生地などで作った土台の上に生クリー をホイップし、それを螺旋状に包むように、細い麺状にした のクリー をあしらう。その上に半分に切った甘露煮の が一片載せられる。形状や大きさ、土台となる生地部分には様々なバリエーションがあるが、 を用いたクリー （またはそれに味を似せたもの）を麺状にしたものをあしらうものが多くのものに共通する。

 

Translated (ok, this is not a perfect translation, but this is the best I can come up with):

 

Mont Blanc is a cake made using a lavish amount of chestnut. This cake is called this way because it imitates the appearance or shape of a mountain. The origin of the name comes from a mountain in the Alps, called Mont Blanc, which in French means "white mountain." In French this cake is called "Mont Blanc aux marrons." Furthermore, the white powdered sugar sprinkled on top represents the snow (found on top of the mountain). Similarly, in Italy, this is called "Monte Bianco."

 

Typically, this cake is made of cupcake-shaped sponge cake, merengue, tart, etc. as crust, on top of which whipped cream is added, then dressed with cream made of chestnut made into slender noodle-like shapes, which is further arranged to form a spiral shape (to give it a mountain-like form). On top of this, slices of halved candied chestnuts are placed. There are many variations on the shape, size, and base which forms the crust, but the most common arrangement uses the noodle-shaped cream made of chestnut (or similar flavors).

 

What is the appropriate word for "making into noodles"? The word escapes me. What is the verb used for it? Noodle-ify? Shucks, my English is sooo rusty. :-)

 

My guess is that this cake is popular in Japan because of how the chestnut cream topping resembles the usual "ramen" or noodle. I've tried different versions of the Mont Blanc, but so far the yummiest is the one we had last Christmas. Of course I'd be fooling myself if I say that eating it would not add inches to my already-growing waistline. But hey, this is one of life's little guilty pleasures. Nothing that a little exercise won't cure. :-)

 

Bon appetit!


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kathyin Life In Japan   Thursday, December 28. 2006 @ 02:17
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a little exercise wont cure...hmm... sige na nga. i'm not too fond of chestnuts actually, but the icing tasted particularly good.
#1 lai on 2006-12-28 08:08 (Reply)
I've just finished searching for information about Mont Blanc cake for my Japanese girlfriend who has a completely different vision of what is a Mont blanc, and I was really please to learn that this cake I had eaten so much when I was a kid was created in my Island :-)
Mont Blanc cake is originally from a French island in the Caribbea called Martinique (there are also rumors saying it's from guadeloupe another French island a few hundred kilometers up North).
Contrary to what can be found in some bakeries in France or other countries, this cake is traditionnally made of coconuts milk, cream and the top is covered with grated coconut, which give an impression of coverring the cake with snow. Since we are are also French I guess the first image of a mountain covered with snow to come to one's imagination is this of the Mont blanc.
Exported to France this cake underwent some modifications regarding its ingredients and presentation. But the commoun taste for exotism makes that the original version is more popular (at least in France), and though I looked for other preperations, I could not find any on the web.

here is a link with a preparation and presentation that seems correct. (sorry it's in French but with a dictionary it won't be that difficult ^^)


http://www.linternaute.com/femmes/cuisine/recette/314979/1395295100/mont-blanc_en_forme_de_la_martinique.shtml

Last advice, learned from many years experience in eating this cake... beware of grated coconut!!! even if it's delicious don't breath in too strong when you eat the cake!
breathing in grated coconut can be quite displeasant XD
#2 Charlydelta on 2009-03-02 23:50 (Reply)

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