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Kyoto sweets|Ajari mochi from ”Ajari Mochi Honpo Kyoto Sweets Mangetsu”

This is the Japanese confectionery “Ajari Mochi” that has been popular in Kyoto since the Edo period.

Kyoto’s Ajamochi Honpo Kyogashi Mangetsu (hereafter referred to as 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 “Mangetsu” is that it only has four types: “Ajari Mochi,” “Mangetsu,” “Kyonagon,” and “Monaka.”

Among them, “Ajari Mochi”, 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

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

I wasn’t sure if white bean paste “Mangetsu” would be a good souvenir, but I decided on “Ajari mochi” with grainy bean paste.

souvenir bag

wrapping

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.

for myself

Ajari mochi

“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”.

Put “Ajari mochi” on the plate used in the tea ceremony of “Kamogawa Odori” in Kyoto,
I put green tea made in Uji, Kyoto in a cup of “Arita porcelain” made in Arita-cho, Saga Prefecture.

Today is sencha. A set of Japanese sweets that would cost more than 1,000 yen at a shop, and eating Japanese sweets like this at home will make you feel elegant.

How to eat delicious “Ajari Mochi”

The expiration date of “Ajari mochi” is 5 days after production.

It depends on the storage conditions, but if you store it at room temperature for up to 3 days, it will be the same as when you bought it, but after 5 days, the skin will become hard.

Even if there is no problem with the expiration date, it will be more delicious if you eat it as soon as possible.

“Ajari mochi” is delicious just as it is, but you can enjoy a different texture and taste by warming it up.

“Ajari mochi” is delicious just as it is, but you can enjoy a different texture and taste by warming it up.

“Mangetsu” says that when it becomes hard, it should be “heated in the oven” or “fried in a light batter” to bring out the special flavor.

Personally, I think the best way to eat it is to slowly grill it on a thick iron plate, just like grilling yakimochi.

What is Ajari in “Ajari Mochi”?

Ajari is a transliteration of “ācārya” in Buddhist language, meaning “a teacher who teaches his disciples and serves as a model for them”.

This means “professor”, “model teacher”, and “right practice”, and in Buddhism, it is a model teacher who teaches disciples, and it is used as a rank of monks.

In short, it means a high-ranking priest.

Mangetsu’s “Ajari Mochi” is named after a monk who survived hunger by eating rice cakes during his rigorous training on Mt. Hiei. Its shape is said to represent the wickerwork hat worn by monks in training.

If you look closely again at the shape, you can see that it looks like an “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.