They don't call me Beard Papa for nothing!

On my way home from work today, Chad wrote me to say he was going to leave a cream puff for me in the fridge! Of course I was excited, but come to find out...I wasn't excited enough. Chad didn't just bring me an ordinary cream puff, he brought me a strawberry cream-filled one! I was so surprised after my first bite that I had to take a picture, and then as I ate it I actually closed my eyes so I could focus on the delicious flavor without distraction.


Like most Japanese sweets, this little delight had a subtle sweetness; however, the strawberry filling really rounded it out with a fresh, bright flavor. (Can we say cream puffs with fruit in them are healthy? Because I could definitely get my daily fruit servings this way!)

The store Chad bought it from is called Beard Papa's: fresh'n natural cream puffs. It's a chain that started in Japan and has spread all over the world. I found a rather entertaining video on the Beard Papa's website that tells the story of Beard Papa. Although the chain first opened in Osaka, Beard Papa and all of the customers inside look Caucasian. (Maybe they were having a foreigner's party? Admittedly, the customer in front of the shadowed crowd outside the shop appears to be Asian. Also, he isn't strangely shaped like the kids inside begging for Beard Papa to create a new delicious treat.)


My favorite part of the video is when Beard Papa is struck with the idea for cream puffs: "My fluffy beard! I'm going to fix up a cream puff with my own original recipe and make it just as fluffy and loveable as my beard. They don't call me Beard Papa for nothing!" It's also pretty trippy amazing when he holds up the completed cream puff to the world.

Unfortunately there aren't any chains open in Michigan yet, so friends and family back home in the mitten state might not be able to enjoy cream puffs from Beard Papa's anytime soon. I would definitely recommend the chain to those visiting or living in Japan, though. That strawberry cream puff I had today was the reason I got distracted from getting any work done over the last hour!