Sarusawa-no-Tsuki

Cookie-like manju with the image of the moon reflected in Sarusawa Pond

I bought a “Sarusawa-no-Tsuki” from “Chiyonoya Takemura,” a very long-established confectionery shop established in 1701 in Nara City. The “Sarusawa-no-Tsuki” we will be having this time also seems to be a manju named after “Sarusawa Pond,” which is a famous place in Nara.

When opened, the manju dough has a slightly unexpected texture, crispy and slightly cookie-like. The outside is baked to a crisp.

The inside is yellowish red bean paste, transparent feeling, and has a beautiful gradation with the outer dough. The coloring must have been inspired by the moon.

The buttery aroma of the red bean paste goes well with the cookie dough. Incidentally, the Sarusawa Pond is located near the Uneme Shrine, where a colorful festival called the “Uneme Festival” is held every year around the time of the harvest moon in mid-autumn.