Gokabou ( 五家宝) is one of the Japanese

wagashi are traditional Japanese confections that are often served with green tea, especially the types made of ''mochi'', ''anko'' (azuki bean paste), and fruit. ''Wagashi'' are typically made from plant-based ingredients. History In Japan, the wor ...

, which is made and sold mainly in

Saitama prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 km2 (1,466 sq mi). Saitama Prefecture borders Tochigi Prefecture ...

. Okoshi, a sweetened cake made of rice is mixed with sugar and then shaped into a thumb-sized cylinder. Wrapped in a sheet made by starch syrup and soybean powder and coated with soybean powder. Gokabou is known as Saitama prefecture Kumagaya city souvenir sweet. They are rarely served as a dessert for school lunch in the public elementary and secondary school. Gokabou is one of the three famous confection in Saitama along with Soka

Senbei are a type of Japanese rice cracker. They come in various shapes, sizes, and flavors, usually savory but sometimes sweet. Senbei are often eaten with green tea as a casual snack and offered to visiting house guests as a courtesy refreshment. ...

from Kazo city and Imogashi (desserts made of

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...

es) from Kawagoe city. It is also qualified as one of the ten

soundscapes A soundscape is the acoustic environment as perceived by humans, in context. The term was originally coined by Michael Southworth, and popularised by R. Murray Schafer. There is a varied history of the use of soundscape depending on discipline, ...

of Saitama. The name, Gokabou, means that five grains are a family's treasure. It is also one of the special products of the Kazo city and has been sold for the past 150 years. Since it is a storable sweet, it became popular as a souvenir sweet and spread through Japan. The process for making the sweet entails a unique and traditional technique. It is additive-free sweet which is easy to digest and attracts people as a nourishing sweet.

History

It was first eaten and made as nonperishables. It gradually shifted and became famous as a homemade sweet. It became popular after 1883 when a railroad was first opened from

Ueno is a district in Tokyo's Taitō Ward, best known as the home of Ueno Park. Ueno is also home to some of Tokyo's finest cultural sites, including the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, and the National Museum of Na ...

to Kumagaya, and people started to sell at the station.

References

Wagashi {{DEFAULTSORT:Gokabou