Onrai Mantou

The name sounds like a special Chinese martial arts technique, but it was pineapple jam.

The package looks somewhat Chinese. It is a manju called “Onrai Mantou” a specialty of Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture.

It is hard to imagine what kind of buns they are from the package, but they seem to be Hiroshima Prefecture sweets inspired by Chinese sweets.

It is a flat shaped manju. The skin is like soft cookie dough.

When I broke it open, what came out was a jam-like bean paste. It looks like a jam with a lot of handmade feel with the fibers intact.

When I tried it, I did not know what it tasted like at first, but upon further investigation, I found out that it was pineapple jam. I learned from my research that pineapple is called “Onrai” in China. So, I guess you could say that this Onrai Mantou is a “pineapple bun” in other words. The manju wrapped in a dough rich in the aroma of butter and chicken eggs was unique, with a sweet and sour flavor that filled my mouth with delight.