Castella ( カステラ , kasutera ) is a type of Japanese sponge cake , based on cakes introduced to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. It was then popularized in the city of Nagasaki , where it is considered a specialty. Despite its foreign origins, it is considered a kind of wagashi , or traditional Japanese confectionery.
17-545: To suit the tastes of Japanese people, mizuame syrup was added to the sponge cake to make it more moist, and zarame (coarse sugar) was added to the bottom to give it a coarser texture. Castella is usually baked in square or rectangular molds, then cut and sold in long boxes, with the cake inside being approximately 27 cm (11 in) long. The word "castella" is derived from the Portuguese Bolo de Castela , meaning "cake from Castile ". Its closest relative
34-541: A tonne of glucose syrup, or 60 bushels (1524 kg) of corn to produce one short ton . The viscosity and sweetness of the syrup depends on the extent to which the hydrolysis reaction has been carried out. To distinguish different grades of syrup, they are rated according to their dextrose equivalent (DE). Most commercially available corn syrups are approximately 1/3 glucose by weight. Two common commercial corn syrup products are light and dark corn syrup. Major uses of corn syrup in commercially prepared foods are as
51-763: A long time, and so were useful for the sailors who were out on the sea for months. In the Edo period , in part due to the cost of sugar, castella was an expensive dessert to make despite the ingredients sold by the Portuguese. When the Emperor of Japan 's envoy was invited, the Tokugawa shogunate presented them with castella cakes. Over the years, the taste changed to suit Japanese palates. There are now many varieties made with ingredients such as powdered green tea , brown sugar , and honey . They may be molded in various shapes;
68-525: A popular Japanese festival food is baby castella , a bite-sized version. Siberia , castella cake filled with yōkan (sweet bean jelly), was popular in the Meiji era ; it had a resurgence since it appeared in the 2013 animated film The Wind Rises , by Hayao Miyazaki . Castella mix is used for the pancakes that are sandwiched together with sweet adzuki bean paste in the confection known as dorayaki . Castella were first introduced to Taiwan during
85-746: A thickener, a sweetener, and a humectant (an ingredient that retains moisture and thus maintains a food's freshness). The primary ingredient in most brands of commercial " table syrup " is either regular corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup, both of which are less expensive than maple syrup . In the United States, tariff-rate quotas for cane sugar imports raise sugar prices; hence, domestically produced corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup are less costly alternatives that are often used in American-made processed and mass-produced foods, candies, soft drinks, and fruit drinks. Glucose syrup
102-870: Is pão-de-ló , a Portuguese cake. Pão-de-ló can be in turned derived from the French Pain de lof or Gâteau de Savoie . Similar European sponge cakes also reference Spain in their names, such as in Italian : Pan di Spagna , in Portuguese : Pão d’Espanha , in Romanian : Pandișpan , in Bulgarian : пандишпан , in Serbian : патишпањ , in Greek : Παντεσπάνι , and in Turkish : Pandispanya . Castile
119-425: Is a sweetener from Japan. A clear, thick, sticky liquid, it is made by converting starch to sugars . Mizuame is added to wagashi to give them a sheen, eaten in ways similar to honey, and can be a main ingredient in sweets. Some Mizuame are produced in a very similar fashion to corn syrup and are very similar in taste. Two methods are used to convert the starches to sugars. The traditional method
136-457: Is considered more flavorful than the acid version. Corn syrup Corn syrup is a food syrup which is made from the starch of corn/ maize and contains varying amounts of sugars: glucose , maltose and higher oligosaccharides , depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture , add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor. It can be processed into high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) by using
153-688: Is isolated from the liquid in which the fungus is grown. The glucose can then be transformed into fructose by passing the glucose through a column that is loaded with the enzyme D-xylose isomerase , an enzyme that is isolated from the growth medium of any of several bacteria. Corn syrup is produced from number 2 yellow dent corn. When wet milled , about 2.3 litres of corn are required to yield an average of 947g of starch, to produce 1 kg of glucose syrup. A bushel (25 kg) of corn will yield an average of 31.5 pounds (14.3 kg) of starch, which in turn will yield about 33.3 pounds (15.1 kg) of syrup. Thus, it takes about 2,300 litres of corn to produce
170-401: Is secreted by various species of the bacterium genus Bacillus and the enzyme is isolated from the liquid in which the bacteria were grown. The enzyme breaks down the starch into oligosaccharides , which are then broken into glucose molecules by adding the enzyme glucoamylase , known also as "γ-amylase". Glucoamylase is secreted by various species of the fungus Aspergillus ; the enzyme
187-448: Is to take glutinous rice mixed with malt , and let the natural enzymatic process take place, converting the starch to syrup which consists mainly of maltose . The second and more common method is acid hydrolysis of potato starch or sweet potato starch by adding acid, such as hydrochloric , sulfuric or nitric acids, to make glucose syrup . If done by the first method, the final product, known as mugi mizuame ( 麦水飴 ) ,
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#1732775743705204-503: The 19th century, as a generic product sold from a barrel. In 1902, the Corn Products Refining Company introduced clear, bottled corn syrup under the brand name of Karo Syrup . In 1910, the company launched one of the largest advertising campaigns ever seen. This included full-page advertisements in women's magazines and free cookbooks full of recipes that called for Karo brand corn syrup. In
221-656: The age of Taiwan under Japanese rule . In 1968, Ye Yongqing, the owner of a Japanese bakery in Taipei named Nanbanto , partnered with the Japanese company Nagasaki Honpu to establish a castella business. Taiwanese style castella is generally more soufflé -like than the Japanese variety with a custard like center. A speciality of Tamsui is a simple pillow shaped castella cake. Taiwanese style castella has been introduced into Japan. Mizuame Mizuame ( 水飴 , literally "water candy", also known as millet jelly)
238-449: The enzyme D-xylose isomerase to convert a large proportion of its glucose into sweeter fructose . The more general term glucose syrup is often used synonymously with corn syrup, since glucose syrup in the United States is most commonly made from corn starch . Technically, glucose syrup is any liquid starch hydrolysate of mono-, di-, and higher- saccharides and can be made from any source of starch: wheat, tapioca and potatoes are
255-465: The most common other sources. Historically, corn syrup was produced by combining corn starch with dilute hydrochloric acid , and then heating the mixture under pressure. The process was invented by the German chemist Gottlieb Kirchhoff in 1811. Currently, corn syrup is obtained through a multi-step bioprocess . First, the enzyme α- amylase is added to a mixture of corn starch and water. α-amylase
272-593: Was a former kingdom of Spain , comprising its north-central provinces, thus these names are quasi-synonymous with "bread from Castile". In the 16th century, the Portuguese reached Japan and soon started trade and missionary work. Nagasaki was then the only Japanese port open for foreign commerce. This exchange, called the Nanban trade , brought many new things to Japan. The Portuguese introduced things such as guns , tobacco , pumpkins , and cakes baked with wheat flour, eggs, and milk. Castella cakes could be stored for
289-429: Was the primary corn sweetener in the United States prior to the expanded use of high fructose corn syrup production in 1964. HFCS is a variant in which other enzymes are used to convert some of the glucose into fructose. The resulting syrup is sweeter and more soluble. If mixed with sugar , water , and cream of tartar , corn syrup can be used to make sugar glass . Corn syrup was available at grocery stores in
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