Did you know that there is an event called Inoko-no-Iwai (celebration of the boar's offspring)?
It is a harvest festival held in the month of the Boar (the tenth month of the lunar calendar), or the first Boar day of the current month of November, at the time of the Boar.
And since the boar is fire-resistant, it is said that if you open the kotatsu or fireplace on this day, you can escape fire.
Every year is different according to the modern calendar, and in 2022, the Boar Celebration will be on Sunday, November 6.
In Kyoto, where people cherish annual events, many wagashi (Japanese confectionery) stores sell "Boar's Child Mochi" when the "Boar's Child Celebration" approaches. In this article, we would like to introduce the "Boar's Child Mochi".
Table of Contents
■What is "boar mochi"?
■Boar mochi from a long-established Kyoto sweets store
The confectionery shop Laomatsu
KAGASHI KAGIJIN
Suehomi Kyoto Confectionery
Senbon Gyokusyuuken
■ Summary
■What is "boar mochi"?
Boar rice cake" is a rice cake made on the occasion of the Boar Festival, and is said to ward off all illnesses if eaten at the time of the Boar Festival (around 10 p.m.) on the first Boar Day in November, when the rice cake is shaped like a boar.
It is said that the practice originally originated at court during the Heian period (794-1185), based on an ancient Chinese saying that it was a spell for good health. In "The Tale of Genji", boar cakes appear in a scene from the second night of Hikaru Genji and Murasaki no Ue's marriage.
Although there are various theories on how to make boar mochi, it seems to be made by mixing the new rice harvested that year (mochi) with seven types of flour (soybeans, azuki beans, sesame seeds, chestnuts, persimmons, cowpeas, and sugar) to form the shape of a boar's cub.
However, the ingredients, manufacturing methods, and designs used vary by region and by wagashi shop, and one can also find ones with three stripes, such as Uribo.
■Boar mochi from a long-established Kyoto sweets store
Let us introduce some boar mochi from long-established Japanese confectionery stores in Kyoto.
The confectionery shop Laomatsu
Laematsu is a long-established Kyoto sweets shop that has been in business for more than 100 years in Kamishichiken, a flower street not far from Kitano Tenmangu Shrine.
“The ”Yushoku-gosho confectionery" means that the confectionery was used for ceremonies and festivals of the Imperial Court since ancient times, and the confectionery continues to promote Kyoto confectionery as a cultural art form.
Laematsu's boar mochi is a relatively dark brown color.
The mochi dough is rather thick, and happily, it is wrapped with grains of sweet bean paste and chopped chestnuts! Is there a little yellowish thing showing through? I thought it was chestnuts, but to my surprise, it turned out to be chestnuts.
I had no idea that the taste of autumn was locked in, so I was deeply immersed in the deliciousness of the boar's rice cakes.
Store Name:Yushoku confectionery shop, Kitano Branch
HP:https://oimatu.co.jp/
Address: 675-2 Shaya Nagaya-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City
TEL: 075-463-3050
KAGASHI KAGIJIN
Kagijin was founded in 1921. The first generation Taizaburo Ota became independent from his position as a banto (head chef) of Kagizenryobo in Gion and started Kagijinryobo near the west gate of Kenninji Temple in Kyoto. 2019 the name of the restaurant was changed from Kagijinryobo to "Kagijin".
We make confections by incorporating new ideas in line with the times, along with traditional techniques, ingredients, and flavors.
Kagijin's Boar's Child Mochi is made of very soft Hanijyu rice cake and sprinkled with black sesame seeds. The red bean paste is a sweet red bean paste with dried persimmons and ginkgo nuts, giving it an autumnal flavor.
I realized once again that each store has its own originality and ingenuity in making boar's whelk cakes. I realized once again that each shop has its own originality and ingenuity in making boar mochi.
Store Name:Gokashiji Kamijin
HP:https://kagijin.jp/
Address: 140 Komatsu-cho, Shijo-sagaru, Yamato-oji-dori, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
TEL: 075-561-4180
Suehomi Kyoto Confectionery
Suehiro Suefuji is a Kyoto confectioner established in 1893. The first generation of Suehomi trained at "Kame Suehiro," a Japanese confectionery also in Kyoto, and opened the business as a branch of the goodwill. Since the first generation, Suehomi has been serving the Higashi Honganji Temple and the Urasenke family, making confections that are not mass-produced, but are made with heart and soul. On the other hand, he also combines tradition and innovation by launching a new confectionery brand "SUETOMI AoQ" (Suetomi AoQ), which combines the sensitivity of Kyoto confectionery making and modern sensibilities.
Suefu's boar mochi is a medium dark brown color. They are this color because bean paste is added to the mochi dough as well.
The mochi is very soft and moist with just the right amount of sweetness, allowing you to savor the deliciousness of the sweet bean paste.
Store Name:Suehomi Kyoto Confectionery Shop
HP:https://www.kyoto-suetomi.com/
Address: Muro-machi Higashi-iru, Matsubara-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
TEL：075-351-0808
Senbon Gyokusyuuken
The origin of Senbon Gyokusyuuken is a textile shop located in Nishijin, the city of textiles.
In the Kansei era (late Edo period), near Senbon Imadegawa-agaru, there was an Izutsuya (weaving shop) that produced and sold confections while weaving, and these confections were very popular.
In the middle of the Taisho era (1912-1926), the old store from the Edo era was moved to Imadegawa Omiya for road expansion, but the confectionery business continued in a part of the building that had escaped demolition.
The previous generation trained at the "Honke Tamajuken" and became independent in 1938, and Senbon Tamajuken was established in the birthplace of the original family.
The famous confectionery "Nishijin Flavor" was invented with the beauty of Nishijin textiles as its motif, and is truly an elegant confectionery nurtured by the history of Nishijin.
Currently, the third generation of the family is making confections that meet the needs of the modern age while continuing to use natural ingredients and the traditional methods of production.
Senbon Tamajyuken's Boar's Child Mochi is filled with sweetened grains. While most boar mochi are made with koshi-an (sweet red bean paste), Senbon Tamasubusuken's boar mochi is made with granulated red bean paste,
The combination of the soft, unraveling mochi dough and the direct flavor of azuki beans is fresh.
Finally, a hint of black sesame seeds adds a cohesiveness to the dish that makes it honestly delicious.
The mochi dough is studded with black sesame seeds, and the robust sesame flavor goes well with the strong azuki bean flavor of the grains.
Store Name:Senbon Gyokushuken
HP:https://sentama.co.jp/
Address: 96 Kamizenji-cho, Imadegawa-agaru, Senbon-dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto
TEL: 075-461-0796
■ Summary
Did you find any "Boar's Child Mochi" that caught your attention? Like "Hanabira Mochi" at New Year's and "Mizunashi" at the end of June, many Japanese confectioners in Kyoto have created their own unique and original wagashi products.
It is fun to buy different boar mochi every year to find your favorite flavor.
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