Discover Japan’s Local Cuisine: Sweets

All over Japan, there is a unique food culture. Among them, I would like to pay attention to "local sweets" that make use of local specialty products and historical background. Enjoy the sweetness that can only be found on the road, such as a gem that maximizes the appeal of the ingredients and a long-established taste that keeps keeping the old-fashioned formula.

Zunden rice cakes (Miyagi Prefecture)

Zunda mochi "Zunda" refers to edamame in the dialect of Miyagi Prefecture. Zunda mochi is one of the local dishes of Miyagi Prefecture, where you eat the paste made by grinding edamame into fresh rice cakes. It is a sweet that distinguishes the contrast between the texture of edamame and the rice cakes. It can be eaten.

Shingen rice cakes (Yamanashi Prefecture)

Shingen rice cakes are representative sweets of Yamanashi Prefecture, and are eaten with soft rice cakes sprinkled with kinako with black nectar. It is named after Takeda Shingen's emergency food, and is sold by Kinseon Seika (Kinsei Kenseika) and Kikyoya (Kikyoya). The package containing a plastic container in a small furoshiki package is also Japanese. You can buy it at the station stand or souvenir shop, so it's perfect for a casual souvenir.

Uiro (Aichi Prefecture)

Uiro is a Nagoya specialty sweet made by adding sugar and water to rice flour. It looks like yokan, but features a solid texture and modest sweetness. It was introduced from China during the Muromachi period and originated from the Chinese medicine "Tochinko". Famous for "Aoyagi Sohonten", "Osu Uiro" and "Yamanaka Yokanpo" in Naka-ku, Nagoya.

Akafuku Mochi (Mie Prefecture)

Akafuku rice cake is a leading rice cake in Mie Prefecture, with a white rice cake on top of it. The streaks attached to the sana follow the Isuzu River (Isuzu River) flowing through the Ise Shrine, while the three streaks of the sana represent the clear stream, and the white rice cakes represent the stones at the bottom of the river. Boxed items can also be purchased at the station's concession stands, but it is exceptional to eat freshly made in the tawy shop of the "Akafuku Honten" at Ise Shrine.

Namayatsuhashi (Kyoto Prefecture)

Ikuyatsubashi is one of the confectionery in Kyoto. It is a simple candy made from rice flour, sugar, and Nikki, which is thinly stretched and steamed. There is a "raw yatsubashi", which is only a square cut, a "raw yatsubashi with a paste", which is wrapped and folded in two, and a "yatsubashi", which is baked and made into a rice cake. The "Honke Nishio Hachibashi" (Honke Nishiotsuhashi) "and" Shōgoin Hachibashi Sohonten "and" Izutsu Hachibashi Honpo "(Izutsu Yatsuhashi Honpo), which were the birthplace, are famous.

Momiji (Hiroshima Prefecture)

Momiji Momito is a maple-shaped bun as its name suggests, and is a representative of Hiroshima. There are not only kashian but also various types of paste wrapped in castella dough. In addition to cheese, chocolate, cream, etc., seasonal and collaboration products are also sold. Famous for "Nishikido", "Yamadaya" and "Fujiiya".

Kibi Dango (Okayama Prefecture)

Kibi Dango, also featured in the old story "Momotarō", is a representative of Okayama Prefecture. It is a candy made by mixing sugar and dried candies with rice flour flour, and features a delicious texture. Its history is old, and it began in 1856 when it was served at a tea ceremony at the Kihibutsu Shrine. "Koido", "Tsuru no Tamago Honpo" and "Yamawaki Sangetsudo" are well known.

Suddenly Dumpling (Kumamoto Prefecture)

Suddenly, dumpling is a simple and gentle local confectionery in Kumamoto Prefecture, which is made by wrapping sweet potatoes and paste in flour dough and steamed. The name "suddenly" comes from a word meaning "easy, quick" and is named because it was ready even when there was a sudden visitor. "Musashi Honpo" in Masuki-cho, "Kumajun" in Shinmachi, and "Karai Moyan" in Otsu, a roadside station, are popular.

White Ma (Kagoshima Prefecture)

This shaved ice is a specialty of Kagoshima, which is made by applying condensed milk on a heaping amount of fluffy shaved ice, with colorful toppings such as tangerines, cherries, pine, and red beans. It is said that this name was given because it resembles the face of a white bear when viewed from the side. You can taste it at "Tenmon Kanmujaki", "Ganso Shirokuma", and "Sengan Ensaryo".

Chinsuko (Okinawa Prefecture)

Chinsuko is a baked confection made from flour, sugar, and lard, and is a traditional Okinawan confection with roots in the Ryūkyū dynasty. It is characterized by its unique crispness, soft texture and gentle sweetness, and was initially a very valuable treat for the Ryukyu royalty and nobility to eat in celebration. There are various flavors such as brown sugar, red potato, chocolate, and salted vanilla. The ones from "Aragaki Confectionery Store", "Nanpudo", and "Okashigo-ten" are famous.