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Manjū

Manjū (饅頭, まんじゅう) is a traditional Japanese confection, usually a small, dense bun with a sweet filling. They come in many shapes and varieties.

The standard manjū has a skin made of flour, and is filled with anko (sweet azuki bean paste). Some varieties use kudzu starch or buckwheat flour for the skin. Other types of filling include sweet potato, chestnut jam, or custard.

Manjū is usually steamed or baked, though fried manjū can be found in some modern restaurants. Traditional manjū are usually round, but many different shapes exist today, and some are proprietary to specific bakeries.

History

Monuments commemorating the introduction of udon, soba (left) and manjū (right) at Joten-ji temple in Hakata

Manju is a traditional Japanese flour-based pastry (instead of rice-based like mochi). During the Kamakura period (1185–1333), Japanese Buddhist monks who studied in the Song dynasty brought the tea culture to Japan, and the custom of eating confections with tea began in Japan.

The monks also introduced tenshin (点心, dim sum), a light meal, and the history book Teikun ōrai (庭訓往来) mentions udon (饂飩), manjū (饅頭), and yōkan (羊羹) as tenshin (点心).

It is believed that the monk Enni introduced manjū production techniques in Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture in 1241. Upon returning from China, he built Joten-ji, a temple of the Rinzai sect in Hakata. He then gave a manjū recipe to a teahouse owner who was always kind to him when he went on takuhatsu (begging rounds) around Mount Aratsu, to the west of Hakata. At that time, he gave the teahouse owner a hand-written signboard with the words "Omanjū Dokoro" ("Place to Eat mManjū"), which is now in possession of Toraya Kurokawa in Akasaka, Tokyo. There is also a stone monument in the garden of Joten-ji temple that commemorates the introduction of manjū to Japan.[1]

Two manjū

However, the manjū and yōkan brought to Japan by the monks were not sweets as we know them today, but were prepared in a completely different way.[2] At that time, manjū resembled Chinese mantou, which is written with the same kanji. It was not a confection, did not contain red bean paste, and was not sweet. The history book Sōgo ōzōshi (宗五大草紙) clearly describes manjū as a dish eaten with chopsticks along with soup and pickles. Later, manjū changed from a light meal to a confection to suit Japanese tastes. In the Muromachi period (1336–1573), Shokunin utaai ehon (職人歌合画本) depicted sweet manjū made with sugar. This manjū is considered the prototype of today's manjū.[2]

Varieties

Usukawa manjū (薄皮饅頭)
Momiji manjū with different fillings

Of the myriad varieties of manjū, some more common than others. In Hawaii, one can find Okinawan manjū that are made with a filling of purple sweet potato, butter, milk, sugar, and salt, but the most common filling is bean paste, of which the several varieties include koshian, tsubuan, and tsubushian.

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ "Manju (Bun stuffed with filling) (饅頭)". www.japanesewiki.com. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b 駆け足でたどる和菓子の歴史 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  3. ^ Schilling, Christine (2007). "Translator's Notes." in Kirishima, Takeru (2002). Kanna Volume 2. California: Go! Comi (Go! Media Entertainment, LLC). ISBN 978-1-933617-56-5

External links