Crumbs to Crunch

Okinawa is one of Japan's best holiday destinations. With its beautiful beaches, interesting history and tropical weather, it is in many ways the perfect getaway. However, for me there is one important thing that trumps all these other considerations when deciding where to go on holiday: what delicious local delicacies can I try? Okinawa's food reflects the mix of cultures that effected this group of islands far from the rest of Japan. From the American influence that created Taco Rice, or the Chinese influence on Okinawan Soba, there are many things that you can try in Okinawa that are completely different to the food from the rest of Japan. Of course, I am always most insterested in the sweets, so it's no wonder that I've become a big fan of Sata Andagi. Sata Andagi are deep fried buns very similar to ones found in Chinese cuisine. They are a little tougher than regular donuts, with a golden exterior and a cake-y interior. The name comes from the words 'sugar...

Japan is  well known for its cute characters, delicious treats and famous anime. There's one bakery that combines all these things together to create perhaps the most Japanese snack ever: The Totoro Cream puff. Totoro is one of Studio Ghibli's most famous characters. He first appeared in the 1988 film 'My Neighbour Totoro' and charmed the world with his cuteness. The owner of Shiro-Hige's Cream Puff Factory  is actually the sister in law of the director of the movie, Miyazaki Hayao. This charming little Tokyo bakery has a whimsical feel, partially hidden away down a small road and surrounded by lots of trees. The interior design is full of wood and warm colours, so its a lovely and cozy place to enjoy some treats. The stars of the show are of course the cream puffs. The flavours change depending on the month, so you can check what they'll be serving when you visit here .  We tried a chocolate cream and a caramel banana cream flavoured Totoro. You...

Are you a fan of apple pie? If you are, then Hirosaki might just be the place for you! Hirosaki is in Aomori, a prefecture in the Tohoku region in the north of Japan. Aomori is famous for its delicious apples, and nowhere is this fruit more greatly celebrated than in the city of Hirosaki. There are over 50 shops in the town selling different types of apple pie. With so many options, it can seem overwhelming. How can you possibly find the perfect pie for you?! Well, the answer is simple. All you need is the Apple pie map !  Not only does the map tell you all the different locations for pie shops and bakeries, it also rates each pie on its sweetness, sourness and amount of cinnamon. My personal favourite is  スリーブリッヂ or Three Bridge, a cute little bakery near Hirosaki station. Their pie is rated 3/5 for sweetness and sourness. But don't take my word for it, head to Hirosaki and do your own research! There's plenty of pies to enjoy and beautiful sites ...

Cream Collon Surely this snack wins for its hilarious name! These are crunchy tubes filled with a custard centre. Unfortunately I found these biscuits disappointing as the custard was quite sickly. 1/5  Kinoko no yama This means 'mountain mushroom'. They are are little pretzels stems covered in chocolate tops. They are so cute and taste so good, this is my favourite.   5/5 KitKat - Yuzu and Cough Syrup The Yuzu KitKats are white chocolate with a wonderful zing. I was surprised by how sour they are but in a good way. 3/5   However, the cough syrup flavoured KitKats smell and taste exactly like medicine. Absolutely disgusting but impressive how authentic the taste is!   0/5 Lotte's Koala March These cute biscuits are puffed cereal parcels filled with chocolate. Each biscuit has a different Koala design. These bite-sized biscuits are not only delicious but also perfect for children and Koala lovers! 4/5 ...

If you love board games but don't have a great selection at home, I have have found just the place for you - Draughts , London's first café dedicated to board games. My goodness, their collection is vast ranging from quick and easy games to complex strategy based games. The format is simple, you pay £5 for a session to access over 800 games and you can play as many as you like. My friend and I are board game amateurs so we stuck to the family section and had a laugh drawing terrible pictures in Pictionary, playing Banagrams and Who's in the bag? Not only can you play games with friends but also have a cuppa and a natter. While the cake selection is small, it is tasty. I enjoyed a gorgeously gooey brownie packed with chocolate chunks and a zingy lemon tart. All in all, it was an excellent way to spend the day, in from the cold. I would love to go back with a big group so we wouldn't be limited to two player games. I can't wait!

Have you ever wanted to travel all around a country but simply don't have time? Poble Espanyol in Barcelona is the solution to seeing Spain in a nutshell. This 'Spanish Village' is an outdoor architectural museum which offers the chance to see Spain in one hour. Poble Espanyol was originally built for the 1929 International Exhibiton to showcase different regional architecture from Santiago de Compostella to Seville but was so popular it is still open today. Strolling along the cobble streets really did give the feel of a village instead of a museum. Many of the buildings house workshops were you can see artisans creating beautiful pieces. Around every corner you can experience a different area of Spain and relax in the many squares. It was in one of these squares that I stopped off for the ultimate Spanish snack, churros. What a treat it was to sit out in the winter's sun on a beautiful Spanish square, dunking the deep fried dough sticks into thick...

Who'd have thought that you could find a safari in South Wales, let alone one made out of Lego? Cardiff Bay was recently taken over by the Great Brick Safari, twelve giant Lego animal models. There was a whole range of Lego models including a crocodile, gorilla and lion. All the models were highly detailed, it was incredible to think they were all created from a toy that every child has played with. I absolutely adored the kangaroo complete with a little Lego joey in her pouch. The elephant was very impressive, measuring 2.5m tall and it took 1600 hours to build! After examining the models, I visited a cupcake shop nearby called The Deck . What sets their cupcakes apart is that each one has a special filling as well as flavoured icing on top. I was spoilt for choice as many flavours are inspired by my favourite chocolate bars but in the end I went for an apple crumble cupcake. This cake had a gorgeous fresh apple centre and was topped with icing and crumbled bisc...

I've always loved the film 'Waitress' so when I heard that it was being turned into a broadway musical  I couldn't wait to see it. However, I knew that I had to be prepared- watching a 2 hour musical about pie-making was sure to make me feel hungry! Therefore, before the show, I went to Peetee's Pie Company to nip any cravings in the bud. Peetee's has a phenomenal selection of pies. It was so hard to chose just one! In the end, I went for a raspberry and apple whilst my friend got a mud pie. At the last minute, I decided to get a slice of New York cheesecake too- I was in the Big Apple after all! The pies were some of the best I've ever eaten, with buttery, crumbly pastry and perfect fillings. However, the real star of the show was the cheesecake. Normally I consider New York cheesecake to be a plain flavour, but it was so rich and creamy, much better than any New York cheesecake I've ever had. I wish I could eat it again! The combination of perfe...

Top of my 'must eat' list for New York was a really good bagel. My American friends had particularly recommended that I try an 'everything bagel' - a bagel with all the toppings (seeds, onions, cheese etc). This is something that I hadn't really seen in the UK, so I was keen to give it a try! With this in mind, I headed straight to The Bagel Store in Brooklyn. It soon became clear that The Bagel Store is particularly famous for its rainbow bagels. There were so many colour combinations of this oh-so-instagrammable food. Unable to decide on just one bagel, I bought a rainbow bagel and an everything bagel. They were huge and slathered in vast amounts of cream cheese. The rainbow bagel was a joy to look at and a conversation starter (some passers-by in the street asked me where I had got it). The everything bagel was a wonderful combination of flavours. Some people may find the combination of all the toppings a little over the top, but I loved it! All ...

When I think of the Barbican in London, masses of concrete springs to mind. Recently, I was amazed to discover a jungle is stashed in the heart of this urban space. This jungle is housed in a huge conservatory which is rarely open to the public. I was struck by the stark contrast between the lofty trees and carp drifting in water with the concrete walls and metal pillars. Every turn led to another surprise as the foliage was quite dense. Following a walkway in the canopy, I came across a whole hidden section dedicated to weird and wonderful cacti.  What's more, you can have a proper afternoon tea amidst the jungle. Unfortunately, I did not have the foresight to book ahead so the normal Barbican café was the next best thing. The conservatory was surprisingly cool so it was good to warm up with a hot chocolate and munch on a tasty white chocolate and raspberry muffin.  I cannot recommend enough exploring the Barbican conservatory. It's free to visit and ...

Ice cream is not just for summer, in my book! I found the perfect ice cream for a nippy winter evening at Chin Chin Labs in London which specialises in ice cream made using liquid nitrogen.  Chin Chin Labs produce a whole host of interesting flavours such as blackberry and coriander, coconut sticky rice and advacado! I chose a scoop of white truffle popcorn. As it was chilly outside, I had the ice cream as part of the 'warmie' - a hot chocolate brownie cookie, topped with ice cream of your choice, covered in a chocolate dome. This dessert was as good as it sounds! I loved the contrast between the soft warm cookie and the ice cream. The ice cream had a different texture from conventional ice cream, it was more like melted marshmallow but cold! The chocolate dome added another level of extravagance. So this is the way to enjoy ice cream in winter, have a warmie!

We are all familiar with the importance of eating well and exercising regularly to look after our physical health. Looking after our mental health is equally as important. Doing things you love is an excellent way to ensure that you feel as well as you can be. For some, that could be running, meditation or yoga but for me, baking brings so much joy. Baking gives me a sense of achievement . It is incredibly satisfying seeing the final product and knowing that I created something that tastes good. Baking requires precision such as measuring ingredients and using a range of techniques. Last week, I made my first pavlova that wasn’t burnt on the outside and raw in the middle! I felt almost euphoric that I had finally mastered the skill of making meringues and it tasted fabulous! Creativity you can eat! Having a creative outlet is hugely beneficial but that doesn’t mean you have to be artistic. Most of my cakes taste a lot better than they look! Some people do fabulous ...