Nara manju｜This tells the origin of the Japanese manju.

Nara manju

Japanese notation　"奈良饅頭（黒あん）"

This tells the origin of the Japanese manju.

I bought a “Nara Manju” from “Chiyonoya Takemura” which has been making Japanese sweets since 1701 in Nara Prefecture.

奈良饅頭のパッケージコピー

On the package, there is a description of the “origin of manju” written in Chinese characters and katakana. It seems to say, “A Chinese monk named Lin Jochin came to Japan in the Nanbokucho Period and made manju with red bean paste for the first time. Lin Jochin was a person who came to Japan from China in 1349 and is said to have introduced steamed buns to Japan.

奈良饅頭の見た目

A few “keshi nuts” are sprinkled on top of the manju.

奈良饅頭の断面

The texture of the manju dough is a little reminiscent of bread dough. It has a slightly crispy texture due to the abundance of air that has been incorporated.

奈良饅頭を食べる