【Nagoya Souvenir】Piyorin × Pompompurin Chiffon Cake: A Cute Nagoya Station Souvenir You Can Keep at Room Temperature

If you’ve ever been to Nagoya, chances are you’ve seen the adorable yellow chick-shaped cake called “ぴよりん (Piyorin)” at Nagoya Station. It’s the little cake that often attracts a long line of customers, with its innocent-looking expression that makes it hard to resist.

The original freshly made Piyorin is made with pudding and mousse. Its texture is incredibly soft and delicate, so delicate that Japan even had a trend known as the “Piyorin Challenge (ぴよりんチャレンジ),” where people would try to carry the cake back to their hotel without it shaking, collapsing, or losing its shape along the way.

For travelers from overseas, however, bringing freshly refrigerated Piyorin back to Taiwan as a souvenir is basically impossible. While browsing the souvenir shops at Nagoya Station, I happened to spot this room-temperature chiffon cake collaboration featuring Piyorin and Sanrio’s Pompompurin.

The bright yellow box features the two yellow characters together, and the packaging immediately caught my eye. More importantly, it can be stored at room temperature, making it much easier to bring home as a souvenir. So I ended up picking up a box and decided to take it home for a little unboxing and taste test.

Unboxing Details

Inside the outer cardboard box, the nine mini chiffon cakes are neatly packed in a clear plastic container, with a small freshness packet included on the side.

Each mini cake is individually sealed in its own package, with the same illustration of Piyorin and Pompompurin running together printed on the wrapper.

The individually wrapped portions are quite convenient when sharing them with coworkers or friends. Everyone can simply take one and open it when they’re ready to eat, which feels more hygienic and also helps prevent the cakes from becoming dry or stale.

Taste Test

After tearing open the plastic wrapper, you’ll find a small, round cake about the size of your palm. The bottom is baked to a lightly golden-brown color with a subtle hint of toasty crispness. Bringing it closer, you can pick up a gentle sweet aroma of vanilla and caramel.

After taking a bite and cutting it open to see the inside, the cake has a fairly fluffy texture, with a fine and even distribution of air pockets.

This isn’t the kind of cake with a gooey filling bursting out from the center. Instead, it’s simply a chiffon-style sponge cake with a lightly sweet and slightly moist texture, so it doesn’t feel too dry or get stuck in your throat.

In terms of flavor, there’s a subtle caramel-and-custard aroma reminiscent of Japanese-style pudding. It pairs especially well with a cup of unsweetened black tea or black coffee in the afternoon.

Nagoya Station (Google Maps)