page_title: Castella
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Castella / History
caption_attribution_description: Pão-de-ló, um bolo português. Pão-de-ló, a portuguese cake.
context_page_description: Castella is a kind of Wagashi originally developed in Japan based on the "Nanban confectionery" transmitted from Portugal. There is no confectionery called “Castella” in Portugal, and the prototype confectionery described later also differs in appearance and manufacturing method from Kasutera. Nagasaki regarded as the birthplace of castella, and the so-called "Nagasaki Kasutera" is based on Fukusaya in Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, and does not mean a famous confection in Nagasaki Prefecture, but is a generic term for those which have the same manufacturing method. The batter is poured into large square or rectangular molds, baked in an oven and cut into long rectangular shapes. Since it uses Mizuame, it has a moist texture.
  Now a specialty of Nagasaki, the cake was brought to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. The name is derived from Portuguese Pão de Castela, meaning "bread from Castile". Castella cake is usually sold in long boxes, with the cake inside being approximately 27 cm long. It is somewhat similar to Madeira cake, also associated with Portugal, but its closest relative is pão-de-ló, also a Portuguese cake.
context_section_description: 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. The Portuguese introduced many then-unusual things, such as guns, tobacco, and pumpkins. The cake could be stored for a long time, and so was 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 the Castella. Over the years, the taste changed to suit Japanese palates.
caption: Pão-de-ló: Castella's Portuguese ancestor
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