Sweets
Iga Manju
Iga Manju — sweet bean buns wrapped in red rice, named for their chestnut-burr look
A sweet bean bun wrapped in red rice and steamed, said to originate in Konosu. Named for its resemblance to a spiky chestnut burr, it balances a sweet-salty flavor with a chewy bite.
- Origin: Saitama Konosu
- About 50 km northwest of Tokyo
Lineage
What it's made of
A steamed bun filled with sweet bean paste is coated in sticky rice dyed red, for this festival-day dish. The chewy red rice gives way to the bun's sweetness within, and the unexpected sweet-and-savory pairing is said to work surprisingly well together, the two parts said to feel almost seamless in a single bite.
How it's made
A country-style bun filled with bean paste is coated with red rice and steamed. Some are simply topped with the rice, others fully covered, and some are finished with a scattering of sesame—the exact style said to vary by household and shop, with the rice said to turn especially fragrant fresh off the steamer.
Why it took this shape
In the grain-growing lowlands of northeastern Saitama, where wheat was widely grown as a second crop, wheat-flour dishes like udon and steamed buns are said to have flourished. The rice-covered bun is said to be named for its resemblance to a chestnut's spiny husk, and it is said to have been made in every household as a lucky charm for festivals and celebrations, a taste still cherished locally today.
Before you go
- How to shop in a depachika (department store food hall)A guide to browsing prepared foods and bento, choosing wagashi as a gift with a good shelf life, sampling etiquette, end-of-day discounts, asking for cold packs and wrapping, and finding your way around a depachika floor.
- Osechi and zoni for the New YearA guide to the meaning behind osechi's tiered boxes, the regional differences in zoni (square vs. round mochi, clear vs. miso broth), and the nanakusa-gayu custom.
- Setsubun: ehomaki and lucky beansA guide to ehomaki, the uncut sushi roll said to be eaten facing a lucky direction on Setsubun, and to mamemaki, the bean-throwing custom with roasted lucky beans.
Dishes in the same style
- Abekawa MochiFresh-pounded rice cake is dusted in soybean flour mixed with sugar. Named for the Abe River, it's said to have been famous among Tokaido travelers as a teahouse specialty and to appear in the travel novel Tokaidochu Hizakurige.
- Iga ManjuSweet bean paste is wrapped in rice flour dough, then coated with dyed sticky rice grains. One account ties the name to the grains' resemblance to a chestnut's spiny husk, and in the western Mikawa region it's said to be offered to Hina dolls at the Doll Festival.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Related lineage
- Shio AnbinMochi filled with red bean paste seasoned with salt instead of sugar, a new-rice harvest treat from northeastern Saitama. It dates to the mid-Edo period when sugar was scarce, and also marks children's growth celebrations.
- TsutokkoSweet rice and red beans wrapped in horse chestnut leaves, tied with straw and steamed, a portable food from Chichibu. Said to trace back to samurai field rations, it is made for the May Boys' Festival with fresh green leaves.
- Shoten ZushiA set of inari and rolled sushi sold before the gate of Shoden-zan Kangi-in temple in Menuma, Kumagaya. Made with rice and once-precious fried tofu for festive occasions, villagers used to trade their own rice for it.
Also from Saitama
- Sakekasu Miso RamenA winter-only ramen from Ageo City, where sake lees from a long-running local brewery are worked into a Chinese restaurant's miso broth. The lees' depth and aroma layer over the miso's savoriness, leaving a mellow finish that warms the body in the cold months.
- Dojo NiPond loach caught in the paddies of eastern Saitama, simmered sweet and savory with shaved burdock, from a land fed by the Arakawa and Tone rivers. Rich in nutrients, it was valued as a tonic and a food for pregnant women.
- Gyoda Furai"Furai" from around Gyoda, Saitama, despite its name, isn't fried — it's grilled. Chopped scallion and pork go on a wheat-flour batter cooked on a griddle, an okonomiyaki-like snack said to have caught on with the women working the town's tabi-sock factories.
- Higashimatsuyama YakitoriPork cheek grilled over charcoal and brushed with a spicy miso sauce.
- HiyajiruSesame and miso ground in a mortar, mixed with summer vegetables like cucumber and shiso, then chilled with cold water. It serves as a dipping broth for udon in noodle-loving Saitama, and Kawajima town calls it suttate.
- IimochiLeftover rice kneaded with wheat flour, shaped and pan-grilled flat, a Saitama snack. In an era of hand-worked farming, it could be made in the morning and carried to the fields like a packed lunch. Names for it vary by area.