Children's Day is coming soon. It will soon be Children's Day and Dragon Boat Festival. When it comes to Japanese sweets that remind us of the season, every store in Kyoto puts in a lot of effort. Kashiwa Mochi," or rice cake with oak leaves, is eaten on Tango-no Sekku in many parts of Japan. However, did you know that a slightly different type of Kashiwa Mochi is available in Kyoto?
In this issue, we will introduce some of the unusual seasonal sweets available in Kyoto on Dragon Boat Festival.
Table of Contents
- What is Children's Day? What is Dragon Boat Festival?
- Kashiwa Mochi in Kyoto
- Demachi Futaba's Kashiwa Mochi
What is Children's Day? What is Dragon Boat Festival?
Children's Day is a national holiday to "respect children's character, promote their happiness, and give thanks to their mothers.
Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional event called Gosekku (five seasonal festivals), which represents seasonal milestones. After World War II, when establishing a new national holiday after the war, there was an opinion that a cultural day with a connection to national feelings should be made a national holiday, instead of mechanically imposing a date. Children's Day and Dragon Boat Festival were made to fall on the same day.
On Dragon Boat Festival, events in line with traditional culture are held, and well-known customs such as flying Koinobori (carp streamers), decorating May dolls, and bathing in iris baths are well-known.
Also, on Dragon Boat Festival, chimaki and kashiwa-mochi are eaten, right?
The "oak leaf," which is always on the tree, symbolizes "prosperity of offspring" and "unbroken family lineage," and hence people began to eat oak cakes on Tango-no Sekku.
Kashiwa Mochi in Kyoto
Chimaki and Kashiwa Mochi are eaten throughout Japan, but Kyoto's Kashiwa Mochi is a little different from the others.
Kashiwa Mochi in Kyoto is sold with miso bean paste, which is rare in the Kansai region.
Kashiwa Mochi with miso bean paste paste is majorly eaten in eastern Japan, from the Kanto region to the north. It is said that this is because Kashiwa Mochi with Miso-an (sweetened with bean paste) was born in the Edo period (1603-1867) and did not spread to the Kansai region.
In Kyoto, they are often sold in three varieties: grain red bean paste, koshi-an, and miso red bean paste.
At this time of year, Kashiwa Mochi are lined up at each store, and it is fun just to look at them, as the mochi with miso bean paste are colored pink or pale yellow, or made of domyoji, showing the individuality of each store. Incidentally, the different contents are sometimes represented by wrapping the leaves around the outside of the rice cake when it is made with azuki bean paste, while the leaves are wrapped around the inside of the rice cake when it is made with miso bean paste.
Demachi Futaba's Kashiwa Mochi
This time, we would like to introduce you to Demachi Futaba, where you will find long lines of people waiting in line for their mame-mochi (bean-cake cakes). Although it has a strong image of mame-mochi (bean cakes), it is a wagashiya that can be visited all year round because of its delicious seasonal sweets such as mizumazuki and boar rice cakes, as well as sekihan (rice with red beans).
Demachi Futaba offers three types of mochi: grain red bean paste (yomogi mochi), koshi-an (sweet red bean paste), and miso red bean paste.
The miso bean paste is dark in color and has a strong miso flavor and sweetness. The miso bean paste is dark in color and has a strong miso flavor and sweetness, with a hint of sansho (a Japanese pepper)! The sweetness and sansho go well with the firm and elastic mochi, making it a unique taste.
The chimaki is called "Fukamori-ike Chimaki," and is made by women in Fukamori-ike (Kamigamo district) in Rakuhoku, who roll the zongzi one by one and carefully steam them.
Why not try the seasonal Kashiwa Mochi and Chimaki to accompany your Shimogamo Shrine sightseeing or chill time in Shimogamo?
Name: Demachi Futaba
Please inquire at the store before visiting, as hours of operation and services may differ.
Location: 236 Seiryu-cho, Imadegawa-agaru, Demachi-Dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City
TEL: 075-231-1658
Hours of operation: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Closed: Tuesdays and the 4th Wednesday of the month (or the following day if the day falls on a national holiday)
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