Monoyama

Traditional sweets close to the origin of manju

“Shiose-Sohonke” is a Japanese confectionery with an astonishing history, having been established in 1349. It is said to be the first store to sell manju in Japan.

Momoyama is a type of traditional Japanese confectionery, and is made in many wagashi shops. At first, it was a confectionery made by baking only the dough, but later types with red bean paste inside were created, and now it seems that the ones with red bean paste are the most common.

The pattern on the top of Momoyama is said to be based on the tile pattern of Fushimi Castle (Momoyama Goten) in Kyoto. It is made with simple ingredients that were available even in those days, such as white bean paste, sugar, egg yolk, and kudzu flour.

Inside you can see a red bean paste with an ogura-like hue, but it is very silky and smooth.

The bean paste had a powdery texture, and the surrounding dough was fluffy, so the overall texture was like a moist biscuit. I felt it was a confectionary that conveys the traditional “Momoyama” taste of the pastry.