Kyoto sweets｜Ajarimochi from ”Ajarimochi Honpo Kyogashi Mangetsu”

language:Japanese

Kyoto’s Ajamochi Honpo Kyogashi Mangetsu (hereafter referred to as Kyogashi Mangetsu) is a long-established confectionery shop that was founded in 1856 (the end of the Edo period) and has been in business for over 160 years.

It’s not uncommon in Kyoto to say that it’s been in business for over 100 years, but what’s amazing about “Kyogashi Mangetsu” is that it only has four types: “Ajarimochi,” “Mangetsu,” “Kyonagon,” and “Monaka.”

Among them, “Ajarimochi”, which is used as part of the company name, has a “moist” skin made from mochi flour, and the inside is filled with Dainagon adzuki bean paste from Tamba, giving it a light sweetness.

The texture that does not emphasize the grains, and the light sweetness and flavor, is a gem that cannot be imitated by other Japanese confectionery shops.

“Ajari mochi” as a souvenir

“Kyogashi Mangetsu” has 26 stores nationwide (15 stores in Kyoto), and the Kinkakuji store is the only directly managed store, and handles all sweets.

The other day, I stopped by “Kyogashi Mangetsu” to buy souvenirs, and I thought that “Mangetsu” would be good once in a while, but I like grain bean paste more than white bean paste, so I decided on “Ajarimochi” as usual.

I bought 3 pieces of loose sale to eat myself apart from souvenirs.

I live in Kyoto, so when I feel like eating one, I often go to a famous confectionery store and say “Please give me one,” and buy one and eat it on the spot.

It depends on the timing, but if you buy one and eat it on the spot, you may be able to eat it freshly made on the spot, so you can enjoy a different taste.

Freshly made wagashi are so delicious that they are hard to put into words, so if you have the chance, please try them.

“Ajari mochi” eaten with green tea

Japanese sweets go well with green tea. Depending on how I feel that day, there are days when I “make matcha” and other times when I “have sencha”.

Today I made sencha. A Japanese confectionery set that is likely to exceed 1,000 yen when you get it at the store, and if you eat Japanese sweets like this at home, you will feel very elegant.

How to eat “Ajarimochi” deliciously

The shelf life of “Ajarimochi” is 5 days from the date of manufacture. It depends on the storage location, but if it is stored at room temperature, it will be the same as when you bought it until the 3rd day, but after 4 days, the skin will become hard, so even if it is within the expiration date, it is better to eat it as soon as possible.

If you can’t eat it all before the expiration date, you can freeze it and store it for about a week. If you warm up the frozen “Ajarimochi” before eating it, you can enjoy a different taste.

“Kyogashi Mangetsu ” says that when it becomes hard, it can be warmed in the oven or fried in a light batter for a special flavor, but I personally think that the best way to eat it is to bake it slowly on a thick griddle, like “yakimochi”.

What is Ajari in “Ajari Mochi”?

Ajari is a transliteration of the Buddhist term “ācārya”, which means “a teacher who teaches disciples and sets their example”, and in Japanese it means “professor”, “model teacher”, and “right conduct”.

In the Buddhist world, it refers to a “model master” who teaches disciples, and is used as a rank of monk. In short, it is said that “Ajari” is a high-ranking monk.

It is said that the name “Ajarimochi” in “Kyogashi Mangetsu” was named after the monk of Mt. Hiei, who survived hunger by eating mochi during his rigorous training, and its shape is said to represent the “Ajirogasa” worn by the monks.

If you look closely at the shape again, it looks like ” Ajirogasa “.

Conclusion and recommendations

We introduced the history and how to eat the famous confectionery “Ajari Mochi” from the long-established Japanese confectionery shop “Mangetsu” in Kyoto.

After all, Japanese sweets made by long-established stores are made using methods that have been handed down from generation to generation, so there is something called the taste of long-established stores that cannot be imitated.

Of course, it is made with the same manufacturing method since the days when there were no chemical seasonings or preservatives, so you can feel the depth of natural taste.

For best taste, eat it as soon as possible. The correct answer is to buy as many as you want to eat when you want to eat.