It's not every day you get to take a bite out of a raindrop. But evidently, friends, that day has come.
Behold the Raindrop Cake. This shiny, transparent dessert uses mineral water and agar, a vegan alternative to gelatin, to achieve a creation that basically looks like a silky gift from the heavens:
The Raindrop Cake has reached Cronut status in Japan, where it's known as mizu shingen mochi. New Yorker Darren Wong decided it was time to bring the treat to the U.S., but nailing the recipe was complicated.
"The cake has to maintain its shape but still have the texture of water," Wong told HuffPost. "It's very delicate and fragile."
Wong serves his cake with two condiments: a molasses-like sugar and kinako, a roasted soybean flour that is often served with other types of mochi. The cake itself tastes pretty much like water, but its value mostly lies in a fun consistency that slides around on your tongue (in the best way).
It's calorie free, hydrating and altogether dazzling to look at.
"There are very few foods that engage this many senses at the same time," Wong says.
We can't help but agree:
Wong will start selling his Raindrop Cake at NYC's Smorgasburg food market this weekend.
In the meantime, you can try to make your own raindrop cake at home ... or just take a few sips of H20 instead.