Japan’s “camellia crepes” look blooming delicious 【Photos】

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A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but a “flower” that’s actually a crepe tastes a lot better.

Cakes and cookies tend to be pretty easy to decorate, since with all of their flat surface area, they’re sort of like edible canvases. Crepes, though, don’t really lend themselves as well to stylistic endeavors. Really, all you’ve got to work with is that tiny bit that sticks out from the top of the wrapper.

But in this case, that’s all the chefs need.

大船渡にある椿クレープおしゃれや https://t.co/PPnmJSEYNr
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ポナト@ポウン・P (@daun_kanato) March 05, 2016

That may look like a wrapped camellia from the florist, but it’s actually a crepe. And while it’s pretty enough to be sold in Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku, it’s actually offered at the cafe Chiccha na Crepe-ya (“The Little Crepe Cafe”), located at Sakari Station in Iwate Prefecture.

▼ Camellia crepe in the foreground, real camellias in the back

大船渡にあるちっちゃなクレープ屋さんの椿クレープ可愛いので食べるのもったいない(#^.^#) #東北の美味いもの #盛り上げよう東北 #ちっちゃなクレープ屋さん #椿クレープ https://t.co/KIA6DPugSC
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トラ (@kamaron5212) March 19, 2016

今日のメッセージテーマは「友達5・7・5」です♫友達をテーマにオリジナル川柳作品を作ってお送りください☆「はしごCafe」のコーナーは大船渡スウィーツ特集をお届けしますよ(^^)お楽しみに〜♡写真は大船渡の花♡椿クレープです‼︎ https://t.co/VJO1gaYJlL
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エフエム岩手　北上支局 (@fm_kitakami) February 22, 2016

Like many rural communities in Japan, the town of Ofunato, where Sakari Station is located, takes pride in its local botanical beauty. As the city is known for its camellias, Chiccha na Crepe-ya celebrates the flowers’ blooming, which peaks in mid-March, by adding the camellia crepe to the menu when the flowers are showing their petals.

大船渡で買った、椿クレープ。家族でいただいたんだけど、あまりの美味しさに食べ終わってすぐ「さて、三鉄クレープ買ってくるかな…」とジョークが出たほど、とにかくなにもかも美味しかった…写真が下手なのは仕様です https://t.co/wLahjaPbjs
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よしのいろは (@yoshinoiroha) March 21, 2016

Unlike the cherry blossom ice cream we recently ate in Tokyo with its real sakura flowers mixed in, there aren’t any actual camellia petals inside the crepe. Instead, you’ll find the much more traditional ingredients of custard, whipped cream, and tangy sliced apples, with the fruit picked in nearby fields. Those who’ve been lucky enough to be passing through Sakari Station say it tastes fantastic.

ＮＨＫ「恋の三陸　列車コンで行こう！」見たよ～ってお客様が椿クレープ食べてくれています。ありがとうございます！三陸鉄道サンキャッチャー http://ift.tt/22W0o1S #ofunato #さんてつ　#nhk https://t.co/XxWJvQfOAO
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ちっちゃなクレープ屋さん本屋＠三鉄盛前 (@chibicrape) February 28, 2016

The camellias only have a few more weeks to bloom, though, so whether you think you can bring yourself to eat this edible piece of art, or just want to gaze upon it, hop on the next train to Iwate.

Restaurant information
Chiccha na Crepe-ya / ちっちゃなクレープ屋
Address: Iwate-ken, Ofunato-shi, Sakarimachi-cho, 11-8
岩手県大船渡市盛町町11-8
Website

Top image: Twitter/@daun_kanato