Hokka-idou

Takeshiro Matsuura, godfather of "Hokkaido"

Rokkatei’s “Kitakamichi” is a so-called “red bean paste pie. The name “Hokka-idou(北加伊道)” was first given to what is now “Hokkaidou(北海道)” by Takeshiro Matsuura, an explorer from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era.

Hokkaido was still called “Ezochi” at that time. Takeshiro Matsuura is said to have repeatedly interviewed local people while respecting the culture and language of the Ainu people, and kept a journal while walking in various places, confirming the names of more than 9,000 places in total.

Takeshiro Matsuura then proposed the name “Hokka-idou(北加伊道)” for what is now Hokkaidou(北海道). ”Kai(加伊)” is an old Ainu word meaning “a person born in this land,” and it is a very nice episode that seems to show the personality of Takeshiro Matsuura. Finally, the character for “sea” was added to “Kai” and the name “Hokkaido” was born.

The cross section of the pie shows that it is made with great care, with layers of pie tightly encasing the red bean paste.

The pie crust is, of course, delicious, but the Ogura-an (sweet bean paste) is also delicious!

I like “Northman” so much that I can’t miss it when it comes to Anko pies from Hokkaido, but “Hokka-idou(北加伊道)” was also wonderfully tasty.