Castella

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The word "castella" is derived from the Portuguese {{Lang|pt|Bolo de Castela}}, meaning "cake from Castile".{{Cite book|last=Hosking|first=Richard|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001/acref-9780199677337-e-1307|title=The Oxford Companion to Food|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2014|isbn=9780191756276|editor-last=Davidson|editor-first=Alan|edition=3rd|chapter=kasutera (sometimes spelled castera)|editor-last2=Jaine|editor-first2=Tom}} Its closest relative is pão-de-ló, a Portuguese cake. Pão-de-ló can be in turned derived from the French Pain de lof{{Cite web |last=termcoordeditor |date=2021-09-11 |title=I-ATE Food Term of the Week: Pão de Ló {{!}} Terminology Coordination Unit |url=https://termcoord.eu/2021/09/i-ate-food-term-of-the-week-pao-de-lo/ |access-date=2024-03-26 |language=en-GB}} or Gâteau de Savoie.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AGg_AAAAYAAJ&dq=%22bolo+de+saboia%22++%22p%C3%A3o+de+l%C3%B3%22&pg=PA185 |title=Arte do cosinheiro e do copeiro |date=1845 |publisher=Sociedade Propagadora dos Conhecimentos Uteis |language=pt-BR}}

Similar European sponge cakes also reference Spain in their names, such as in {{langx|it|Pan di Spagna}}, in {{Langx|pt|Pão d’Espanha}}, in {{langx|ro|Pandișpan}}, in {{langx|bg|пандишпан}}, in {{langx|sr|патишпањ}}, in {{langx|el|Παντεσπάνι}}, and in {{langx|tr|Pandispanya}}. Castile was a former kingdom of Spain, comprising its north-central provinces, thus these names are quasi-synonymous with "bread from Castile".

File:Pão-de-ló.jpg

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 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.Bunmeidou History of Castella [http://www.tokyo-bunmeido.co.jp/museum/rekishi/index.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622200257/http://www.tokyo-bunmeido.co.jp/museum/rekishi/index.html|date=June 22, 2008}} 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; 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.{{Cite web|url=http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/09/09/the-old-timey-treat-thats-back-in-style-thanks-to-hayao-miyazaki/|title=The old-timey treat that's back in style thanks to Hayao Miyazaki|date=2013-09-08|website=RocketNews24|access-date=2017-01-08|archive-date=2018-01-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102020002/https://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/09/09/the-old-timey-treat-thats-back-in-style-thanks-to-hayao-miyazaki/|url-status=dead}}

Castella mix is used for the pancakes that are sandwiched together with sweet adzuki bean paste in the confection known as dorayaki.

Bunmeido Oyatsu-Castella.jpg|Regular and chocolate castella

Castella.jpg|Strawberry castella

Siberia2.jpg|Castella with yōkan, called "Siberia" in Japan

Peach castella.jpg|Peach castella

Castella were first introduced to Taiwan during 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.{{cite book|title=Official site of Nanbanto|url=https://www.nanmantang.com|year=2018}}

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.{{cite web |last1=Yang |first1=Sophia |title=Taiwan's Castella named next darling in Japan |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3840325 |website=www.taiwannews.com.tw |date=19 December 2019 |publisher=Taiwan News |access-date=15 November 2020}} Taiwanese style castella has been introduced into Japan.{{cite web |last1=St. Michel |first1=Patrick |title=Harajuku's latest dessert trend? Taiwanese castella cake. |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2020/11/07/food/harajuku-taiwanese-castella-cake/ |website=www.japantimes.co.jp |date=7 November 2020 |publisher=Japan Times |access-date=7 November 2020}}

In South Korea, Taiwanese castella cake was briefly a fashionable food item until its popularity collapsed due to an oversaturation of cake shops and accusations of excess cooking oil in the cakes.{{cite web |last1=Park |first1=S. Nathan |title=‘Parasite’ Has a Hidden Backstory of Middle-Class Failure and Chicken Joints |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/21/korea-bong-oscars-parasite-hidden-backstory-middle-class-chicken-bong-joon-ho/ |website=www.foreignpolicy.com |date=21 February 2020 |publisher=Foreign Policy |access-date=15 November 2020}} The 2019 film Parasite briefly refers to the Taiwanese castella cake fad as the source of the Kim family's financial troubles.

File:Taiwanese Casetella.jpg

File:Taiwanese Castella 1.png

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File:Taiwanese Castella 4.png

File:ファミマの台湾カステラ.jpg

File:Nagasaki BunmeidoubTotal headquarters 2011.jpg]]

• Founded in 1624: Castella Honke Fukusaya (Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture)
• Founded in 1681: Shooken (Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture)
• Founded in 1900 (Meiji 33): Bunmeidō (Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture) Known for the phrase "castella first, telephone number second" and in the Kanto region, commercials of bear puppets dancing can-can dances.{{cite web|date=February 9, 2014 |website=YouTube |script-title=ja:懐かしいCM　文明堂　カステラ　「文明堂豆劇場」 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJt2Y0DobQo}}

• Gairaigo
• Japanese words of Portuguese origin
• Baumkuchen

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{{Commons category|Castella (food)|position=left}}

{{Cakes}}

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Category:Japanese fusion cuisine

Category:Portuguese fusion cuisine

Category:Japanese cakes