Why Does that Raindrop Cake Look Familiar?

A drop of rain? What is it? Apparently, the latest dessert trend – Raindrop Cake has taken the world by storm. Making its debut in New York, created by Chef Darren Wong, it is inspired by a traditional dessert mochi dish in Japan named ‘mizu shingen’. However, we were discussing how is it so similar to our childhood nibble that is named ‘agar-agar’ in Malaysia.

Based on the reviews and comments from the people who tasted it, the Raindrop Cake was light-weight, tasted like water, and has zero calories. Zero calories! That’s the main difference when comparing our childhood delicacy in Malaysia. Basically, what we have in Malaysia is considered the guilty and greasy version. It’s not as fancy, but definitely more flavourful, as it is usually garnished with different toppings and fillings. YUM! Back in our childhood days, we used to request an ‘agar-agar’ cake for our birthday. That is because it is possible to make it look moulded like our favourite cartoon character.

My mom still makes them during festive season, such as ‘agar-agar’ mooncakes during the mooncake festival. She made them with fillings such as red bean, corn, and surprisingly, chocolate. Also, for my 21st birthday last year, she made ‘agar-agar’ bites as party snacks with longan as the filling. Longan tastes like a pickled version of lychee. The cakes are so refreshing and extremely convenient to make. We still have it once in a while. Another major difference is the price. In Malaysia, you could purchase a piece of ‘agar-agar’ for just RM3, at most RM5, whereas the Raindrop Cake costs USD$8. But to be fair, people would pay for the deluxe and exquisite feeling of the dessert. Well, it is guilt-free! I guess it’s worth it just to grab a shot to post on social media.