Katsuo-tsubu

The fun of cracking and eating with candy that imitates dried bonito

“Katsuo-tsubu” is made by “Yamanishi-Kinryodo” in Kochi Prefecture. At first glance, the package with the fish “katsuo(bonito)” on it does not look like a candy.

It seems to be a candy confection that imitates “Katsuobushi (dried bonito)”, but it is so heavy that one can feel its stiff mass through the bag. This candy has been made since 1887, when Yamanishi-Kinryodo was founded, and has a history of more than 130 years.

The back of the bag says, ‘Please break it open with the accompanying hammer and enjoy.
Hammer !?

When I opened the package, I found that it did indeed contain a hammer. More than that, I was surprised at the sheer size of the candy itself. It is firmly shaped like a dried bonito.

And what a metal hammer to break this mighty candy!

I tried hitting it with a hammer, but it was completely toothless at first, and after hitting it about 50 times, I was finally able to break it down to this level.

I knew I would need to pound it about 300 more times to break the whole thing into bite-size pieces, so I used a hammer I had at home to pulverize it into smaller pieces.

The shattered candy is beautiful, like an amber jewel. And the aroma of cinnamon wafts through the air in abundance. It was a very unique candy with the appearance of dried bonito flakes and the entertainment (Breaking the candy with a hammer). It is a perfect souvenir from Kochi.