Kasanoya "Umegae mochi" (Umegae cake)

Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Fukuoka is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane. One of the specialties of the town in front of the shrine is "Umegae mochi," which is derived from an anecdote about Michizane.

Umegae mochi is made by Kasanoya, a long-established shop founded in 1922, and is baked with a dough made from a blend of glutinous and Uruchi rice and filled with sweet red bean paste. Carefully selected ingredients such as azuki beans from Tokachi, Hokkaido, and salt from Amakusa are used.


The frozen product purchased this time is freshly baked and quick-frozen Umegae mochi, priced at 648 yen (tax included) for a package of five. Warm them in a microwave oven or toaster before eating.


First, heat the cake in a microwave oven for 50 seconds without wrapping it. The dough is soft and fluffy, and the sweet red bean paste is filling the dough. It is a delicious combination of oyaki and daifuku.


For toaster, remove the plastic wrap and cook for 10 minutes. The surface will be crispier than in the microwave, so the difference in texture between the smooth bean paste and the toast will be more noticeable. The aroma is also enhanced, making it look as if it were freshly baked.


Umegae mochi of Kasanoya keeps the traditional taste. Why not try it while thinking of Sugawara Michizane?