Kuri Okowa

Glutinous rice is steamed with chestnuts and red beans folded in; when offered at a shrine, it's sometimes shaped into cones or triangular rice balls. The dish is said to be indispensable at an autumn festival where new rice is offered to a local guardian deity. Chestnuts dried and lightly pounded, kept in hopes of a victorious outcome, are sometimes used. It's also known by a couple of other local names tied to the word for steamed rice. It was also traditionally given as a standard gift to festival guests.

The glutinous rice is washed and soaked overnight. Red beans are boiled once, drained, and boiled again until they reach a slightly firm texture. The rice and beans are mixed, topped with chestnuts, and steamed. Chestnuts dried and lightly pounded as a preserved food are sometimes used as well, and how long it's steamed is said to shape the final texture. Boiling the red beans once and draining them before the main cook is said to be the trick. Its shape is said to matter when it's offered at a shrine.

Preparations reportedly begin days before the festival, and it's traditionally been made as a gift for visiting guests. Beyond festivals, it's also eaten at celebrations, and the recipe and flavor are said to vary from place to place. It's described as an essential dish at autumn festivals held across different towns in the prefecture. In one porcelain town it's said to be pressed into a fan-shaped mold before serving. The ingredients and seasoning are said to vary a little from place to place.