is a traditional Japanese confection. Of the many varieties of manjū, most have an outside made from

flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

powder,

kudzu Kudzu (; also called Japanese arrowroot or Chinese arrowroot) is a group of climbing, coiling, and trailing deciduous perennial vines native to much of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and some Pacific islands, but invasive species, invasive in many ...

, and

buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as '' Fago ...

, and a filling of ''anko'' ( red bean paste), usually made from boiled adzuki beans and sugar. ''Manjū'' is sometimes made with other fillings such as chestnut jam. In

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, one can find

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

n ''manjū ''that are made with a filling of purple

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 ...

, butter, milk, sugar, and salt, but the most common filling is bean paste, of which the several varieties include ''koshian'', ''tsubuan'', and ''tsubushian''.

History

Manju is a traditional Japanese flour-based pastry (instead of rice-based like

mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of , a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. In Japan, it is traditionally ma ...

). It originated in China under the name ''

mantou ''Mantou'' (), often referred to as Chinese steamed bun, is a white and soft type of steamed bread or bun popular in northern China. Folk etymology connects the name ''mantou'' to a tale about Zhuge Liang. Description ''Mantou'' are t ...

'' in

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

, but became known as ''manjū'' when it came to Japan. In 1341, a Japanese envoy who came back from China brought back ''mantou'' with him and started to sell it as ''nara-manjū''. This was said to be the origin of Japanese ''manjū''. Since then, it has been eaten for nearly 700 years by Japanese people. Now it can be found in many Japanese sweet shops. Its low price is a reason that it is popular.

Varieties

Of the myriad varieties of ''manjū'', some more common than others. * ''

Matcha is finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves, traditionally consumed in East Asia. The green tea plants used for matcha are shade-grown for three to four weeks before harvest; the stems and veins are removed during ...

'' (green tea) ''manjū'' is one of the most common. In this case, the outside of the ''manjū'' has a

green tea Green tea is a type of tea that is made from '' Camellia sinensis'' leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process which is used to make oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China, and since the ...

flavor and is colored green. * '' Mizu'' (water) ''manjū'' is traditionally eaten in the summertime and contains a flavored bean filling. The exterior of the ''mizu manjū'' is made with ''kuzu ''starch, which gives the dough a translucent, jelly-like appearance.Schilling, Christine (2007). "Translator's Notes." in Kirishima, Takeru (2002). ''Kanna Volume 2''. California: Go! Comi (Go! Media Entertainment, LLC). * Also, ''manjū'' can have different flavored fillings, such as orange-flavored cream. * As is the case with many Japanese foods, in some parts of Japan, one can find ''manjū'' unique to that region, such as the maple leaf-shaped ''

momiji manjū Momiji manjū is a type of manjū and Imagawayaki. The confection is a buckwheat and rice cake shaped like a Japanese maple leaf, and is a local specialty on the island of Itsukushima (Miyajima) in Hiroshima. It is typically filled with red bean ...

'' in Hiroshima and Miyajima. * The regional variety of the Saitama prefecture is called Jumangoku ''manjū''.

References

External links

*
Kashiwaya
(Japanese)
Kashiwaya Usukawa Manju
Instagram) {{DEFAULTSORT:Manju Wagashi Buddhist cuisine

History

Varieties

See also

References

External links