Koge-man

Round and cute fried manju from Okayama

Established in 1912, the first year of the Taisho Era (1912), Hirai Confectionery in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, is a very long-established business that has been making Japanese confections in Okayama for over 100 years. The “Koge-man” made by “Confectionery Hirai” is a cute, round karinto manju with a slightly pop design packaging.

The packaging design is good, like a simple wrapping paper that feels like it would be included if you bought it in a store! I feel a sense of taste in packaging design that values this kind of atmosphere that conveys the character of the confectionery.

Shiny, round karinto manju. The outer skin is fried to a crisp and has a nice, crumbly texture.

The filling is koshi-an (sweet red bean paste). The ratio of the skin to the karinto is nice.

The name “Koge-man” is a phrase in the Okayama dialect, which means “Koge-ena-umee-manju (What a delicious manju!)” try it once.