Mizu manju

In this entry, I’d like to introduce about Japanese local snack “mizu manju”.

Mizu manju is a specialty food of Ohgaki city in Gifu prefecture.

Ohgaki city is called “city of water” because of its abundant groundwater. This groundwater is used for making mizu manju.

Mizu manju is a kind of manju. Manju is a very popular traditional snack in Japan. Mizu means water and Mizu manju is very wet compared with normal manju.

Mizu manju is traditionally eaten in the summertime and contains a flavored bean filling. The exterior of the mizu manju is made with kuzu starch, which gives the dough a translucent, jelly-like appearance.

Mizu manju is always served put in ochoko with cold water.

Mizu manju is very delicious. I want it become more famous.

My favorite snacks in my hometown

In this article, I will write about Japanese-style confectioneries made in a shop named “Hujiya” in my home town. In this shop, there are “sakamoto-manjyu”, “monaka”, and “yokan”. My home town is Agui town. It is located in the middle of Chita peninsular in Aichi.

First, I’ll introduce what these snacks are. To begin with, I’ll tell you about “sakamoto-manjyu”. “sakamoto” means “sake less”, “manjyuu” means “Japanese-style bun stuffed with adzuki-bean paste. It taste really good, so many people who live in Agui buy them when they welcome their visitor to their home. We can also buy “monaka” at this shop. “monaka” is a wafer cake filled with red or white bean jam. There are normal taste one and powdered green tea taste.

Second, I will introduce what ingredient contains in monaka. The wafer contain “Renge-Chan”. It is a kind of rice raised in Agui town. The rice is good not only for our health, but also for the earth. The rice is raised in renge field. Renge is Chinese milk vetch in English. These flowers have much nutrition and nitrogen. As a result, we can rise them without chemical fertilizer.

Third, I will write about detail about this shop. This shop is closed on Tuesdays. The shop hours are 9:00～19:00. However, when the all merchandise sells out, the shop will be closed even if the time is before 19:00.
I’m sure you enjoy these snacks especially “sakamoto-manjyuu” if you have them.

Mikawamaki

Here I tell you about “Mikawamaki”, Mikawa is one of the regions in Aichi prefecture I live. I also live in Nishio, which is famous for powdered green tea.

Mikawamaki is made from strained bean paste and a sponge cake like a pancake, which the sense of eating is like rice cake. (Mochi-Mochi) The name was called after the cradle of Mikawa-cotton. As you can see, on the top there is a burn, which is put for someone who had good things when you or your friends hold parties for the person. For example, it is someone’s marriage, birth, and so on.

And we Japanese eat this sweet with powdered green tea. If you came to Nishio in Japan, you could buy a box by 900 yen, which has 6 Mikawamakis. It is about 225 TWD, and is a little expensive, but it has the value to eat it. If you could not come to Nishio, you could buy it on the internet if you were in Japan.

I do recommend you to eat this one, because I always get the feeling which I want to go my own home when I eat this. It means this sweet makes me homesick. So please try to eat it!

Ogura toast

I would like to introduce about Ogura toast. Ogura toast is a famous snack in my hometown, Nagoya in Aichi prefecture, so ogura toast is one of the “Nagoya meshi”. Ogura means smooth sweet bean paste mixed with adzuki pickled in honey.
Put some margarine or butter on a thicker slice of bread after toast it, and put some “ogura” on it.
Ogura toast is sometimes sold at convenience stores and supermarkets in Nagoya. We often see “Ogura and Neo margarine” and “Ogura margarine” that are sweet buns at those stores. I like it very much. It is a sweet and simple food. We can eat it as a light meal and break fast. If you like sweet foods, you like this.