Photo by Shibuya246

As the holidays rapidly approach, you may or may not be feeling nostalgic for the spongey, strawberry-laden cakes so well-known in Japan– the Japanese Christmas cake. Orders for this beloved item start being taken all the way back in September in some places, and you can barely pass a bakery window without seeing its red and white decorations, often with plump, beaming Santas on top. But did you know about the Christmas cake’s postwar origins? This recent article on NPR’s website brings the cake to the table, so to speak. Check it out to see why this cakes is so ubiquitous, and maybe now you’ll use the Japanese cake emoticon on your phone a little more often!

Happy holidays everyone!