Soba Boro Package

I didn’t realize but I buy soba boro (蕎麦ぼうろ) fairly often. I like them. My dog likes them. I think that they have a distinctly Japanese taste yet are not challenging to the non-Japanese palate like tea ceremony namagashi might be. I reviewed Kyoto handmade soba boro ice cream here on KyotoFoodie and that is some wonderful stuff!

While soba boro is not a distinctly Kyoto confection, there are a number of shinise shop in Kyoto that are famous for them. One of my favorites is located near the Kyoto Gosho Imperial Palace and is called Kawaramachiya (丸太町かわらまち屋). In addition to soba boro, Kawaramachiya also is famous for their soba manju confections.

Kawaramachiya Soba Boro

How does Soba Boro Taste?
Soba boro has a very pleasant taste and texture and is not high in calories, for a sweet. It is hard and crispy but far less dense than traditional biscotti. Though it is very crunchy, it melts upon meeting the mouth very quickly. The soba and sugar creates a slightly earthy and caramely taste.

ingredient list:
wheat flour, sugar, egg, soba buckwheat flour

Kawaramachiya 'Honten' Store

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English:
English menu/signage: none
English website: none
Service/Staff: so-so
Price: 300 – 1,500 yen.
Location and Access: Kawaramachiya is located on Marutamachi Street between Teramachi and Kawaramachi Streets, on the south side of Marutamachi. The closest station is Jingu Marutamachi Station on the Keihan Railway, just across the Kamo River. The Marutamachi subway station on the Karasuma Line is about a 10 minute walk to the west. Many bus lines pass through this neighborhood too.
Address: Kyoto-shi Kamigyo-ku, Marutamachi-dori Kawaramachi Nishi-iru, Shintomi-cho 331
(京都市上京区丸太町通河原町西入信富町331番地)
Telephone: 075-231-2146
Near Sightseeing Spot: The Imperial Palace (5 min. walk to the north-west) and Shimogoryo Jinja Shrine and Teramachi Street

Map:

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This is miso flavored gyuhi mochi from Honda Miso and it is a masterpiece! In addition to the novel and exceptional taste, this is a foodie souvenir that you ought to be able to take back home with you when you visit Kyoto. Even if you are not into wagashi confections, you might still like this as it is similar in taste and texture to caramel — but even better!

Miso Chigiri Mochi Package - Wrapped

Miso Chigiri Mochi Package - Unwrapping

Miso Chigiri Mochi and Wasanbon Sugar

How Does Miso Chigiri Mochi Taste?
While miso and mochi together are not unheard of, before sugar was widely available miso was often used to flavor mochi sweets in Japan, this is different. This is reminiscent of caramel in taste and feel yet without a trace of actual caramel in it, which I find very intriguing.

It is made with gyuhi mochi which is mochi with air whipped into it, so the texture is bubbly soft rather than firm like mochi used for cooking.

The fragrance is pronounced and includes the pungent punch of miso, but not too much.

The taste is quite extraordinary. The combination of sweet, miso and mochi come together in a really novel and delightful way. The flavor is not at all understated, it is a pretty huge flavor for any wagashi. I think the miso gives it a lot of body. It is very caramely and ‘misoy’ and has a hint of butter too. The miso paste that is used is Kyoto’s famous white miso (Saikyo shiro miso) which has little salt and is not as pungent as darker and longer fermented miso varieties.

The mochi comes in two colors; brown and pink. The brown ones are miso flavored and the pink ones are plain gyuhi mochi. The miso flavored pieces account for about 8 or 9 in 10 of the total. I think that the pink ones add a real ‘Kyoto’ touch of understated sophistication to it. If they were all miso flavored it would be monotonous and if the pink ones had their own flavor, that would be excessive and lack harmony of flavor.

This gyuhi mochi is packed in light brown colored wasanbon sugar. Wasanbon is the powdered sugar that is native to Japan. It is usually steamed, kneaded and pulverized several times. Wasanbon is somewhat caramely in flavor with a slight burnt sugar flavor to it, yet it is extremely delicate. The pieces of mochi have a generous coating of wasanbon on them which you can brush off a bit for a different flavor variation.

Miso Chigiri Mochi and Wasanbon Sugar - detail (The pinks ones are not miso flavored.)

Where to Buy
I think that this product is only available at Honda Miso Honten. The location is just west of the Gosho Imperial Palace at the intersection of Ichijo Dori and Muromachi Dori streets. In the neighborhood is the famous Toraya wagashi confectionary and Sawai Shoyu Honten soy sauce brewery.

Honda Miso also offers white miso caramel which is also very good.

Honda Miso Honten Entrance and Noren Curtain

Honda Miso Honten Interior

White Miso Caramel

Samples are available just to the left of the entrance.

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Map to Honda Miso Honten

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Hyuganatsu is only available in Kyoto for a few weeks in the late winter and early spring and most Japanese have never eaten it. This spring I was inspired to some truly exquisite marmalade with hyuganatsu.

Miyazaki Citrus Hyuganatsu

Renowned Foodies in Kyoto from NYC
Marc from NoRecipes.com, a foodie blogger friend was in Kyoto this week and we finally got a chance to meet in person and ‘foodie’. He brought along Stephane from ZenCanCook.com, Stephane is a real French chef. The night of their arrival we did Japanese beef at Hiro, then sake at Nihonshu Bar Asakura then sumashi ramen at Takaraya. A few days later we did the wholesale food market and Kyoto-style sushi lesson at Kichisen with Chef Tanigawa.

Hyuganatsu Wagashi Omiyage
Marc was in Miyazaki, on Kyushu, before he came up to Kyoto and he kindly brought some omiyage souvenirs for me including Miyazaki’s undisputed meibutsu, the hyuganatsu in the form of a whole candied hyuganatsu filled with hyuganatsu flavored white yokan from a shinise in Miyazaki. It was a foodies dream come true.

Hyuganatsu Yokan: Hyuga-no-Kaori Box and Wrapping

Hyuganatsu Yokan: Hyuga-no-Kaori Inner Wrapping

Hyuganatsu Yokan: Hyuga-no-Kaori

Hyuga-no-Kaori Yokan (七万石 日向のかほり)
There are a number of wagashi confections in Japanese cuisine that use a whole citrus fruit peel as a container for mochi, jelly or yokan flavored with the fruits juice. Some of my favorites are steamed yuzu filled with mochi, a cold season specialty of northern Japan and a bitter summer orange filled with jelly served chilled in the summer.

According to the Japanese Wikipedia article, hyuganatsu citrus (citrus tamurana) 日向夏柑橘 suddenly appeared in the Miyazaki garden of Yasutaro Magata in 1820. He didn’t know what the fruit was but did eat a few every winter but they were too sour for his taste. One summer a carpenter named Chibei Takazuma who was repairing Magata’s thatched roof helped himself to one of the mysterious fruit that was just left on the tree and he thought that it tasted pretty good. He took home a branch and grafted it onto a tree in his garden. From there cultivation of the fruit spread and by 1887 the name ‘hyuganatsu’ was in common use. It is thought that the hyuganatsu is a mutation of the yuzu citrus fruit.

Nanaman Goku (七万石) is a shinise in Miyazaki that developed this delightful confection in 1873. The confection is called Hyuga-no-Kaori which literally means the ‘fragrance of hyuga’. Development required 4 years of endeavor. To make it the flesh of the fruit is removed and juiced and used to flavor yokan jelly. The peel is candied and filled with yokan. The whole citrus fruit being candied makes this one rather unique, I think.

To serve, the confection is sliced into wedges reminiscent of the fruit wedges themselves.

Hyuganatsu Yokan: Hyuga-no-Kaori - Slicing

Hyuganatsu Yokan: Hyuga-no-Kaori - Sliced

Hyuganatsu Yokan: Hyuga-no-Kaori - Sliced and Served

Hyuganatsu Yokan: Hyuga-no-Kaori - Served

Hyuganatsu Yokan: Hyuga-no-Kaori - detail

How did Hyuga-no-Kaori Yokan taste?
Nanaman Goko says that they make this confection all year and with the seasons the taste changes quite a bit. I am a fiend for hyuganatsu so I was very excited to try this. It is absolutely beautiful and I felt that the packaging is certainly of a bygone and more pure era, like a Norman Rockwell painting. On the whole, I found it a little too sweet, but I was able to fix that with some Yankee ingenuity: I washed it.

There was not much hyuganatsu taste in the yokan but the peel is overflowing with flavor and fragrance. The yokan is a prefect balance to the sour of the peel. My only criticism is that it is quite sweet. Wagashi that is intended to be enjoyed with bitter maccha is often very sweet, so this is not unusual. Most of the sweetness comes from the sugar that is adhered to the candied peel. I tried scraping away some of the sugar with a knife but it is really stuck. I then tried running water over a slice for a few seconds, once to melt the sugar and a second time to wash it away. That removed a good portion of the sugar and that made the sweetness perfect for me.

Eating Hyuganatsu Fresh
You can see how to slice the hyuganatsu for eating fresh on this Sake Chat and Hyuganatsu Kyoto Diary article.

Hyuganatsu Marmalade Article Tease:
This was a beauty to behold, cook and eat! Hopefully I will get to it soon, until then..

Miyazaki Citrus Hyuganatsu

Miyazaki Citrus Hyuganatsu Ready for Making Marmalade

Wagashi: Sendai Meibutsu Zunda Mochi 仙台名物 ずんだ餅

Soft and Chewy Mochi Covered in Sweet Young Soybean Paste
Sendai is in the northern part of the main island, Honshu. This region is called Tohoku, literally ‘north east’ and is famous for many tasty things such as seafood, beef, sake, soba and apples, to name just a few. Zunda mochi is made with eda mame, young green soybeans. Eda mame are grown all over Japan but only in the Tohoku region is zunda mochi ubiquitous. It is part of the history and tradition of the region.

Eda mame, literally ‘stem bean’ because it is usually sold in bunches while still on the stalk, became popular in the Edo era about 250 years ago with the rise of the urban merchant class. It is usually a snack or appetizer and boiled, salted and chilled goes well with beer in summer. (I like to use eda mame to make this rice dish.)

To make zunda mochi, young eda mame soybeans are harvested about 3 months before the normal harvest time. They are blanched and shelled and then ground into a chunky paste in a suribachi mortar. The paste is simply sweetened with sugar and a little salt. Fresh, soft and chewy mochi is covered with the thick chunky paste. Very simple! If you can get fresh mochi abroad, you ought to be able to make this dish easily.

Sweet Young Soybean Zunda Mochi

Sweet Young Soybean Zunda Mochi

Zunda Mochi – detail

How Does Zunda Mochi Taste?
The fresh, young, green soybeans don’t taste anything like mature soybeans or tofu. The taste is just like the color: green! While the paste tastes somewhat ‘beany’, it is more fruity and fresh in taste than you might expect. The point is fresh ingredients, quick preparation and a bit of sweetness, but not too much. The salt that is usually added cannot be tasted.

The chunky texture of the paste is a wonderful contrast to the soft mochi.

This is another Japanese dish that I think we could adopt and adapt to Western cooking and tastes.

Sendai Omiyage
At omiyage shops all over Sendai this mochi is for sale. For tourists and business travelers it is packaged frozen and by the time you arrive back home in several hours to half a day it ought to be thawed out and perfect for eating. Mochi starts to harden soon after being made and the zunda fresh green soybean paste starts to discolor soon, so this omiyage should be eaten as soon as you arrive home or to the office.

The zunda mochi producers have taken their traditional regional mochi, developed modern handling and packaging techniques and made this omiyage into quite a business for the local economy. In that sense it is similar to Kyoto’s famed omiyage: Yatsuhashi. However, zunda mochi is enjoyed by locals too (unlike yatsuhashi in Kyoto) and freshness is of the essence.

Zunda Mochi Package, Fresh from Sendai

Zunda Mochi Package

Zunda Mochi Package

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Kara Komoro Wagashi: An early summer wagashi shaped like a well dressed member of the imperial court, made of sweet jellied beans.

Itadakimono: Recently I have been helping several foreign students find some unique cultural experiences in Kyoto as part of our new OpenKyoto project. This is tentatively called the Kyoto Nest Project. After school and on weekends, these students have been rushing around Kyoto to do internships, research with artisans, musicians, weavers and so on.

Our first two of the ‘tamago’, (eggs, as they might be called in contemporary Japanese), sisters Leah and Meryl, are leaving Japan in a few days. Last night they took me out for dinner at Kyonaya and gave me a box of goodbye wagashi omiyage.

Kara Komoro Jellied Bean Wagashi

This wagashi is from Kogetsu. We haven’t reviewed Kogetsu on KyotoFoodie, but it is one of Kyoto’s powerhouse wagashi producers. Kogetsu has stores in the major departments stores all over Japan now. (They have 22 locations in just Kyoto now — a little much, I think.) One of the cliquey and adolescent Kyoto attitudes quite prevalent is that once a traditional Kyoto company goes national or gets big, most Kyoto people instinctively begin to criticize the company’s products even though they can never seem to give concrete examples of what went bad. While I have run into a few disappointments, I find that most of Kogetsu’s wagashi are excellent. Their sit down location in Gion is quite nice.

I have seen these Kara Komoro wagashi the last year or so, but I had never purchased them. The shape is based on the early kimono that came from China. You can these ancient garments in the Aio Matsuri (Hollyhock Festival) going on in Kyoto this month.

Kara Komoro Jellied Bean Wagashi – Packaging

Kara Komoro Jellied Bean Wagashi

The Package
The wrapping I thought was very clever and cute, but when unwrapped it revealed a whole lot of waste paper and packaging. Traditional Japanese designs, especially anything traditionally ‘Kyoto’ abhors waste and excess. So, that was a little disappointing however wagashi packing today is often very wasteful and excessive. In the box or alone on a plate, the visual effect of this was indeed very beautiful.

Kara Komoro Jellied Bean Wagashi – Unwrapping

Kara Komoro Jellied Bean Wagashi – Served

The Taste
This wagashi is made with jellied bean paste and flavored with ‘Western liqueur’, the wrapper says. It was a nice, fruity, early summer taste but it was quite sweet, a little too sweet for me.

I guess that the form factor was a bit more novel than the taste. Never the less, I was very happy to get a wonderful, seasonal gift from my new friends Leah and Meryl. Thanks much and I hope you make it back to Kyoto in the future!

Kara Komoro Jellied Bean Wagashi – Opening the Box

First Two Tamagos, Sisters Leah and Meryl (and Me) at Kyonaya

Leah and Meryl are going to write about their Kyoto ‘Nest’ experiences and post an article each at OpenKyoto. Stay tuned.

Itadakimono (a gift humbly received): Squid
Yesterday morning I had a chance to go to the Kyoto Central Wholesale Food Market with the Iron Chef defeater Yoshimi Tanigawa, the owner of Kichisen. (also known as Kisen). Kichisen is among the best of the best for Kyoto Kaiseki cuisine. Mr Tanigawa gave me several of the squid that he bought and told me to make shiokara with it. Shiokara is a side dish not for the faint hearted that combines sliced squid body and legs with some squid entrails and is pickled in salt.

To make shiokara, the squid first must be cleaned. But how do you clean a squid? Well, it is not that difficult and requires little technique. It does involve getting your hands dirty.

Cleaning Squid: the Squid

The Main Steps of Cleaning a Squid

1. Separate the legs and entrails out from the body by gently pulling the legs away from the body.
2. Remove the ‘cuttlebone’, the transparent cartilage spine of the squid by gently pulling.
3. Clean out remaining tissue, innards and so on from body (split body if not making rings).
4. Peel away spotted brown outer membrane from the body.
5. Cut the legs away from the ‘head’ from the entrails.
6. Remove orangish-brown gland from guts for shiokara (if you are brave).
7. Wash body and legs thoroughly.

The squid body can be stuffed, sliced into rings or split and sliced into strips. For shiokara, you want to split it down the middle, wash well and slice into strips. The legs can also be used for shiokara but removing the tentacles and and skin membrane requires some technique. The legs with skin attached can be used for other dishes.

Be sure to check out our shiokara series:
How to Clean Squid (this article)
How to Make Shiokara
How to Eat Shiokara

Cleaning Squid: To Start, Just Pull

Gently pull the legs away from the body. No cutting should be required, but you can use your finger to tear the connective membrane if need be. The orangish-brown part is the digestive gland, something like an intestine. It is called kimo, or liver in Japanese, but properly it is not a liver. This gland is essential for making shiokara.

Cleaning Squid: Removing the Guts

Cleaning Squid: Guts and Digestive Gland Removed

Cleaning Squid: Eggs and Ink

Attaached to the head arethree mains parts; the egg sac (left, white), ink sac (middle, blackish) and digestive gland (right, orangish-brown). Be careful not to break the ink sac as you will have quite a mess. Squid ink easily washes away with water though.

Cleaning Squid: Removing the Cuttlebone

Cleaning Squid: Removing the Cuttlebone

Cleaning Squid: Split and Remove Remaining Viscera

If you want to cut into rings, just wash out the body thoroughly with running water.

Cleaning Squid: Split and Remove Remaining Viscera

Cleaning Squid: Peeling Away the Skin

A quick slice with the knife will make it easier to ‘get an edge’ on the skin to peel away. For cooking preparations using high heat such as deep frying, this step may be skipped.

Cleaning Squid: Peeling Away the Skin

Cleaning Squid: Peeling Away the Skin

Cleaning Squid: Done!

Cleaning Squid for Shiokawa: Digestive Gland

Simply cut away the base of the digestive gland from the head.

Cleaning Squid for Shiokawa: Digestive Gland

If you are making shiokara, remove this dark strip of viscera that is attached to the digestive gland

Snapshots from Kichisen Kitchen
Kichisen is not your garden variety ‘best of the best’ restaurant. Mr. Tanigawa runs a ‘dojo’ training school with Marine bootcamp level severity for aspiring Kyoto cuisine chefs. Here are a few survivors. They are not students or kitchen staff, but disciples.

Pro Squid Cleaning

Pro Squid Cleaning

Pro Squid Cleaning

Pro Squid Cleaning

Giving and receiving gifts is an essential aspect of Japanese culture. Gifts are usually small and often given spontaneously. On the way back from an appointment today I stopped in at Kisen to return a very old and precious book on Kyo-ryori to the owner that I had been lent earlier this autumn.

Itadakimono: a gift humbly received

I was seated and served tea in a room that always has a flower arrangement in which the vase or basket is attached to the wall, rather than simply sitting on a surface. I was just there to return a book. Today was yellow chrysanthemums in a ceramic vase. In an alcove behind me I notice an incredibly colorful woodblock print that was a montage of New York City.

Mr Tanigawa, the owner; part boxer, part Zen master came in in a nylon gym suit with the biggest, roundest daikon radish I had every seen while ordering underlings to bring this dried kelp and that tsukemono press, then handing the daikon off and ordering it to be wrapped up. Then, “hey, bring him a bag of rice too.” It’s shinmai, or ‘new rice’.

The rice is grown especially for his restaurant by a farmer in rural Kyoto.

Itadakimono

I was given a quick lesson on how to make tsukemono with the daikon and Mr Tanigawa ordered some out from the kitchen for me to try. I plucked out a wedge shaped slice of daikon pickled simply in salt and kombu (dried kelp).

I haven’t made tsukemono for a few years, but I am going to give it a try with this wonderful itadakimono, which if successful will go extremely well with this fine new rice.

Boiled chestnuts mashed with sugar and twisted in fabric into shape makes kurikinton, an autumn delicacy and favorite souvenir of the mountainous areas of central Japan.

Kurikinton and Omiyage Culture

Omiyage, or the giving of souvenirs, usually famous products from ones own region or a visited destination is an extremely important aspect of Japanese culture. Last week, a business associate from Gifu Prefecture came to see me in Kyoto bearing kurikinton from a small but very famous shinise. Gifu, the mountainous prefecture near the big city of Nagoya is very famous for its chestnuts and persimmons. The store that makes this kurikinton, Tsuchiya in Ogaki city is this year celebrating its 250th year in business and has a grand total of 4 products producing about $22,000,000 a year in revenue. That’s a lot of chestnuts!

Authentic kurikinton only has two ingredients; chestnut and sugar. Not even any water. Fine Gifu chestnuts are boiled and then mashed with sugar. They are then hand-formed into a ball inside a piece of cloth which is twisted at the top, producing the distinctive kurikinton shape. The taste is like much else in Japan; deceptively simple, rich, not too sweet and delicately refined. While the recipe may sound like it would produce a pasty confection it is not. The consistancy and some aspect of the taste might tempt one to think of cookie dough, but the flavor is neither immature nor half-baked.

The night my friend arrived, at dinner he passed out beautifully wrapped packages of Gifu kurikinton omiyage to several lucky people including myself. The next day, after we took in some Kyoto sights and lunch, before departure he was hunting down some novel Kyoto omiyage to take back to family and employees. In Japan, one would imagine that no matter the economic downturn, the omiyage business never suffers.

In true shinise form, Tsuchiya has a really crappy website from which you can order by fax. How’s that for modernity? I guess that makes getting their creations for a visiting friend all the more special!

Kurikinton Box

Kurikinton Under Wraps

Kurikinton Unwrapped

Kurikinton Served

Kurikinton – detail

Kurikinton Interior

Tsuchiya website (Japanese language)

Scoop soft tofu from boiling water, strain tea, roast sesame seeds, grill vegetables and fish over an open flame — all with beautiful, handmade traditional Kyoto metal utensils.

Tsujiwa Kana-ami is a shinise and workshop just south of the Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho) that offers metal implements. As the store and workshop are one, customers can see both the store shelves and the products being made by the third generation owner.

In Japanese kana means metal and ami means to weave, mesh or net. Kana-ami utensils are used for a variety of cooking techniques as well as some serving and presentation.

Tsujiwa Kana-ami is a popular store for Kyoto residents and restaurant and ryokan owners and in recent years has become a popular destination for Japanese tourists that want to pick up some kana-ami that have the quality and tradition of the old capital. Of course anywhere in Japan mass produced, machine-made kana-ami are available but increasingly people really desire authenticity, tradition and handcrafted ‘shokunin’ products.

For the English speaking foodie visiting Kyoto there are a lot of foodie related items that you will probably want to pickup, Tsujiwa Kana-ami is one shop that you will probably not want to miss. Tsujiwa Kana-ami also has products that make nice omiyage, or souvenirs.

Prices are reasonable; there are a lot of products in the 10-$20 price range and about the most expensive item in the store is around $100.

Tsujiwa Kana-ami Store and Workshop

Tsujiwa Kana-ami Store and Workshop

Strainer Related Products

Yaki-ami

These are great for roasting nuts as the ami closes.

Yaki-ami

Japanese often cook dried fish over an open flame on a stove top using this kind of ami.

Fruit Bowls and Baskets

These incorporate bamboo and woven vines as handles.

Yudofu Shakushi (ゆどうふ杓子)

The ‘shakushi’ is a combination of a ladle and strainer. It is used to lift boiled tofu (yudofu) out of hot water. Japanese prefer tofu to be very soft.

The Tools of the Trade: Decidedly Lowtech

Simple wooden forms are used to make many of the ‘ami’ products. These well-worn tools at Tsujiwa Kana-ami have been in use for more than 80 years.

Wooden Forms

Wooden Form – detail

Wooden Forms and Finished Product

The Tools of the Trade: Weaving Metal

The Tools of the Trade

The Tools of the Trade

The Finished Product: Yaki-ami

These are great for grilling vegetables and fish.

Yaki-ami in Demonstration

We got a demonstration from Mrs Tsujiwa on how to use the yaki-ami on a conventional gas range top. She told us that this can also be done on an electric range.

The yaki-ami has a sheet of heavy mess under the ‘ami’ that diffuses and radiates the heat. More importantly after it turns red hot, it emits infrared radiation which cooks like charcoal.

Grilling Eggplant

Grilling Eggplant – almost done!

Add Peppers

Grilling Eggplant and Peppers – done

The red ones are Kyoto’s famous manganji togaraishi.

Yaki-ami Even Makes Toast

Tsujiwa Kana-ami Service and Location

Tsujiwa Kana-ami Storefront

English brochure: none
English website: none (Japanese language website)
Service/Staff: very friendly and helpful
Hours: 9am-6pm, closed Sundays and public holidays
Location and Access: Ten minutes on foot from Karasuma Oike Station (Subway Tozai and Karasuma lines), Marutamachi Station (Subway Karasuma line) and Kyoto Shiyakushomae Station (Subway Tozai line).
Address
: Kyoto-shi Nakagyo-ku Sakaimachi-dori Ebisugawa-sagaru Kameya-cho 175 (京都市中京区堺町通夷川下ル亀屋町175)
Telephone: 075-231-7368

Map

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This is a chopstick workshop and store that offers traditional, eco and modern Japanese chopsticks for sale and a quick lesson on how to make your own. Located in one of Kyoto’s most scenic and quaint districts, just drop in on your way up to Kiyomizu or Kodaiji temples!

Paku discovered Ohashi-no-Ohshita near Kodaiji Temple in Higashiyama ward the other day.

The location is the most scenic area in central Kyoto and the store not only sells a wide variety of high quality chopsticks, visitors can learn how to make their own in the adjoining workshop.

If you are going to be in Kyoto, you will probably want to see Kiyomizu Temple (清水寺), Kiyomizu Temple is one of the 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kyoto. Kodaiji Temple (高台寺) and the Ichinenzaka (一念坂), Ninenzaka (二寧坂) and Sannenzaka (三寧坂) neighborhood are just below Kiyomizu and these three streets wind their way up the slope to the hillside temple.

Experience: Kyoto ‘DIY’ Chopsticks at Ohashi-no-Ohshita

Ohashi-no-Ohshita offers a variety of pre-lacquered chopsticks to choose from and there are several techniques to polish them. It doesn’t take too long and anyone can create their own, one of a kind chopsticks to take home.

In the Workshop – Polishing Your Own DIY Chopsticks

The owner, Mr Oshita gives a demonstration; polishing reveals layers of lacquer, mother of pearl and other varieties of seashell.

In the Workshop – Color and Texture Variations

In the Workshop – Before and After

The small bits are made from eggshells and seashells, the large, rectangular pieces are mother of pearl. If you look carefully, near the top of the chopstick on the left, the inlaid rectangular piece of mother of pearl can be seen.

Kyoto Omiyage: Handcrafted Traditional Japanese Lacquer Chopsticks

The owner of Ohashi-no-Ohshita, Masayuki Oshita is from Fukui prefecture to the north of Kyoto. Fukui is famous for many things including lacquer. Wakasa nuri comes from modern-day city of Obama, the area was historically known as Wakasa, named after Wakasa Bay on the Sea of Japan.

The lacquer craftsmen in Wakasa of the early Edo period (1603-1868) were influenced by Chinese lacquer techniques and were inspired by the patterns created by sunlight through waves on the shallow seafloor of the bay. This has become known as wakasa nuri, nuri, means to paint, brush or coat.

The selection of wakasa nuri chopsticks are quite expensive, from about $45-$130. They have up to 50 layers of lacquer! Each layer takes one day to dry, then comes polishing. These aren’t DIY. They are very labor intensive and are some of Japan’s finest.

Multiple Layer ‘Wakasa Nuri’ Lacquer ‘Wavy Seafloor’ Pattern

‘Wakasa Nuri’ Lacquer with Seashell

These include mother of pearl.

‘Wakasa Nuri’ Lacquer with Seashell

‘Wakasa Nuri’ Lacquer

This motif was a favorite in old Kyoto.

‘Wakasa Nuri’ (若狭塗) Sign

若 waka, 狭 sa, nuri 塗; Wakasa is just a place name and has no particular meaning.

Modern and Colorful Lacquer Chopsticks

This series is very delightful and unique. The vibrant colors are not at all traditional. The quality is high yet the prices are reasonable.

Colorful Modern Lacquer

On the ends are painted blooms and sprout themed motifs in delicate white lacquer.

Wrapped in ‘Washi’ Paper and Lacquered

Washi is traditional Japanese paper. It is extremely durable yet beautiful. The lacquered so it will stand up to water and washing. The paper makes for a nice grip too.

Modern Natural Wood Japanese Chopsticks

The bamboo used to make these chopsticks comes from the Arashiyama and Sagano area in the Western Hills of Kyoto. This area produces many varieties of bamboo for crafts as well as fine bamboo shoots for eating.

Natural Kyoto Bamboo Chopsticks

Natural Kyoto Bamboo Chopsticks – detail

Natural Bamboo Chopsticks – Painted Green

Use Specific Wooden Chopsticks

These are for sashimi. About $15.

Use Specific Wooden Chopsticks

The top pair is for soba, and the bottom two are for ramen. Ramen is more slippery than soba, so these are branded with a hot iron for extra traction.

Japanese Baseball Team Branded Chopsticks

Baseball is the most popular professional sport in Japan and the names and logos of teams are a common sight on products in Japan. This was the first time I had seen baseball team branded chopsticks.

Japanese Baseball Team Chopsticks

Japanese Baseball Team Chopsticks

Hanshin Tigers

Eco, Reusable ‘My Hashi’ Chopstick Sets

‘Hashi’ means ‘chopstick’ in Japanese. ‘My Hashi’ are gaining in popularity and these are very attractive and reasonably priced at about $20. They can be broken down to easily fit in a purse or briefcase and have their own pouch.

My Hashi

My Hashi

Conventional Chopsticks – Dishwasher Safe

Ohashi-no-Ohshita Workshop and Store has a large offering of reasonably priced Japanese style conventional chopsticks. These make great omiyge (お土産), or souvenirs. They are even dishwasher safe.

Conventional Chopsticks

Conventional Chopsticks

The Store and Neighborhood

The Proprietor

Mr Oshita started out as a lacquer craftsmen in Wakasa then came to Kyoto to develop his business and offer people a chance to experience some of the process that makes traditional Japanese lacquer chopsticks.

Store

The store is small, but not cramped and has an incredible selection of chopsticks.

Workshop

The autographed white panels on the wall are signed by actors, musicians, athletes, television personalities and so on.

Ichinenzaka Neighborhood

This is a wonderful neighborhood with many, many traditional shops and restaurants to be discovered. You can easily spend an entire day between here and Kiyomizu Temple.

Ohashi-no-Ohshita Store Front

Ohashi-no-Ohshita Store Front

Workshop and Store Sign

おおした Ohshita, 箸 chopstick, 工房 workshop

Ishin-no-Michi Entrance

The larger street, facing toward Kodaji Temple is called Ishin-no-Michi (維新の道), Ishin Street. Ohashi-no-Ohshita can also be entered through this side of the building.

Ishin-no-Michi Storefront

Ishin-no-Michi Steet Facing Sign

English Service

English brochure: none
English website: none (Japanese language website)

Service/Staff: friendly
Hours: 10am-6pm, open everyday
Location and Access: Ohshita Chopstick Workshop is 20 minutes on foot from Kawaramachi Station (Hankyu Line), 15 minutes on foot from Shijo Station (Keihan line). It is on stone paved road called Ichinen-zaka,in between Gion area to Kiyomizu Temple.

Address
Kyoto-shi Higashiyama-ku Kodaiji Minamimon-dori Shimogawara Higashi-iru Masuya-cho 362-5 (京都市東山区高台寺南門通下河原東入桝屋町362-5)
Telephone: 075-551-1184

Map

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The furoshiki wrapping cloth is both utilitarian and beautiful. In daily life it is used to wrap and carry lunch boxes to work or picnics and on special occasions for wrapping gifts of food and drink.

We want to do some articles that examine the other, non-edible things that are a distinct part of Japanese culinary culture. Meet the furoshiki ‘wrapping cloth’, it is convenient, versatile, reusable, very eco-friendly and of course uniquely beautiful.

History and Development of the Furoshiki
From ancient times, Japanese used a square cloth, called hirazutsumi for wrapping and carrying goods. The oldest example in existence is from Nara period (710-794) and is in the treasure house of the Shosoin Imperial Repository located in Nara city. Nara was the capital of Japan before Kyoto.

The modern word, furoshiki means ‘bath cloth’ and is from the Edo period (1603-1868) because people used a furoshiki to carry their personal affects to and from the public bath. Throughout history the furoshiki was probably most often used by merchants to carry goods and wares to market. The modern furoshiki, while still an utilitarian object is also a thing of beauty and is often used as a wrapping for gifts. Smaller furoshiki are often used by people to carry their bento lunchbox to work. The furoshiki is now a popular alternative to throwaway shopping bags. Cotton and silk furoshiki are still most common, but now synthetic fabrics are also popular for their durability and ease to clean. The Japanese government has even initiated this project to promote the furoshiki to the wider world as a way to reduce waste.

Karakusaya Furoshiki Store
We were given some demonstrations at Karakusaya, a furoshiki store owned by one of Kyoto’s oldest and largest furoshiki producers.

Karakusaya is located in central Kyoto within walking distance of many of Kyoto’s famous ryokan such as Sumiya Ryokan, Hiiragiya Ryokan, and Tawaraya Ryokan. Okura Hotel is also nearby.

As furoshiki are moderately priced, light-weight and unbreakable, they also make excellent gifts to take back home. If you don’t think that you can master the knots, you can still use them as a table cloth. If you would like to learn the wrapping and knotting techniques, you can stop in at Karakusaya for a free of charge lesson!

Beautifully Wrapped Sake Bottle

Furoshiki Wrapping Gourd-shaped Sake Bottle

The furoshiki enables you to wrap things of nearly any shape.

Wrapping Picnic Lunch

The furoshiki can wrap multiple, oddly shaped things into a single secure and easy to carry package.

Beautifully Wrapped Picnic Lunch

The utilitarian furoshiki is becomes a beautiful creation when tied.

How for Fold and Tie Instruction Manual

Karakusaya offers some English language guidance on the techniques needed to be a furoshiki master.

The Store

Karakusaya Manager

Notice the contemporary colored furoshiki in the background.

Products on Store Shelves

Contemporary colors

Products on Store Shelves

This is the karakusa, or ivy motif, very important in Japanese culture.

Products on Store Shelves

Wrapped wine bottle

Products on Store Shelves

This series is Peko’s favorite.

Products on Store Shelves

More traditional patterns and motifs.

Products on Store Shelves

Products on Store Shelves

Contemporary colors and mofits

Furoshiki Wrapping and Tying Video Demonstrations

Furoshiki Wrapping Two Sake Bottles

Furoshiki Wrapping Isshobin Sake Bottle

Furoshiki Wrapping Shoulder Bag

Furoshiki Wrapping Handbag

Karakusaya Storefront

English:
English brochure: yes
English website: none
Japanese language site: Miyai Corporate Site | How to Tie (excellent images)
Service/Staff: friendly with free furoshiki wrapping lessons
Hours: 10am-6pm, closed Monday and Tuesday
Location and Access: —
Address: Kyoto-shi Nakagyo-ku, Muromachi Rokkaku-sagaru Funayama-cho 510
(京都市中京区室町六角下ル鯉山町５１０番地)
Telephone: 075-221-0390

Map:

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Picnic with Furoshiki

Paku, a true furoshiki lover took us for a picnic at the Kyoto Gosho Imperial Palace grounds to demonstrate the multiple uses that the furoshiki can be put to. She wrapped our picnic lunch, transported it and then we used the same furoshiki to sit on while we had our lunch. We of course took our shoes off.

Picnic with Furoshiki

Picnic with Furoshiki

Picnic with Furoshiki

Meet ayugashi! A river fish shaped confection with waffle for a skin, bubbly soft mochi for innards and facial and fin features branded on with hot iron.

Ayu, or sweetfish in English, is a favorite trout-like river fish in season from late spring to mid-summer. Ayu is very delicious and usually enjoyed in the shio-yaki style (salt grilled).

Ayu like the koi is an important symbol in Japanese culture as it is a fish that swims upstream, battling rushing currents, rapids and waterfalls. This symbol is often associated with children in hopes for their growth and development.

Ayugashi (ayu confection) or waka-ayu (young ayu) is a very popular confection in early summer. Ayugashi — more or less — looks like the ayu fish. The body is made of a waffle-like crepe and folder over gyuhi, then the eyes, mouths, gills and fins are branded on the waffle with a hot iron.

Peko is actually a big ayugashi fan and has wanted to do a ayugashi ‘taste-test’ on the web long before the birth of KyotoFoodie. Also, in our Make KyotoFoodie Better Survey, people asked for a ‘Do Not Miss in Kyoto’ series. So, here we go.

We purchased some ayugashi from five of our favorite shinise wagashi shops in Kyoto. They are all wonderful and if you are in Kyoto from late spring to mid-summer, check out their ayugashi. They are fun to compare and contrast. Here is a list of the shops that we tried.

Nakamuraken 中村軒
Heianden 平安殿
Sentaro 仙太郎
Daigokuden 大極殿
Tawaraya Yoshitomi 俵屋吉富

Ayugashi, Waka-ayu – Our Selection in a Basket

Ayugashi from Nakamuraken (中村軒)

Nakamuraken’s ayugashi is very famous.

Nakamuraken 中村軒
P & P say: Relatively hard, chewy and very tasty, rather filling. The waffle is very well-made and seems very machine-made. The waffle wrapper was most ‘waffly’ of the five that we compared. The gyuhi was quite firm.

We think that Nakamuraken’s Ayugashi is technically very well-made and tastes very good. While some may say that is lacks uniqueness it strives for and achieves perfection. This is a classic ayugashi. Aesthetically, the appearance is somewhat unremarkable. It is just packaged in clear plastic.

Ayugashi from Heianden (平安殿) – Package

Excellent package. Those are the rapids that the ayu has to navigate. The ‘あゆ’ on the upper right says ‘ayu’.

Ayugashi from Heianden (平安殿)

Inside the beautiful package is a rather homely ayugashi, but at least it does have a fish face and gills.

Heianden 平安殿
P & P say: The beautiful package expresses visually what people love about ayu. The ayugashi itself is sort of frumpy and a bit crumpled, not particularly well-made technically. However, this is one of our favorite tasting ayugashi. The waffle is thin and delicate, nearly falling apart in some places. The gyuhi inside is huge and very, very soft, — bubbly soft. This was our favorite gyuhi.

Ayugashi from Sentaro (仙太郎)

Nice, classic ayugashi. Technically, well made.

Sentaro 仙太郎
P & P say: Another classic ayugashi similar to Nakamuraken’s, however Sentaro’s ayugashi really looks like an ayu. We like that! It is the most realistic of the five we tried with an articulated and decorated tail. Again, very ‘waffly’ waffle, thick and firm with a nice portion of gyuhi inside. Overall, very delicious.

Ayugashi from Daigokuden (大極殿)

Ayugashi from Daigokuden (大極殿)

Excuse me, that is a fish head? I get it, I get it! It’s conceptual art! (I have a BFA)

Daigokuden 大極殿
P & P say: This is one homely ayu, but tastes excellent. See, you can’t judge a book by its cover and you can’t judge an ayugashi by its waffle wrapping, either. We reckon (Paku’s favorite word) that this is ‘on the theme of ayu‘ rather than merely trying to look like an ayu. This ayugashi is filled with gyuhi from head to tail. The waffle has a very hand-made look to it. This is another of our favorites for taste, but the appearance is a little too crumpled. By Japanese standards, this ayugashi needs some styling.

Ayugashi from Tawaraya Yoshitomi (俵屋吉富) – Package

Some poetry on the packaging and tied with a string at the top.

Ayugashi from Tawaraya Yoshitomi (俵屋吉富)

Completely unique ayugashi, in two flavors and spattered with sugar like froth on whitewater.

Ayugashi from Tawaraya Yoshitomi (俵屋吉富) – detail

Beautifully articulated little ayu faces.

Tawaraya Yoshitomi 俵屋吉富
P & P say: Tawaraya Yoshitomi’s Kamogawa Ayu are very unique and has been one of Peko’s favs for several years now. The white one is new this year and is shiso flavored and the bluish one is yuzu flavored (Peko’s fav). This ayugashi doesn’t employ a waffle, but a hard, crunchy shell. Think taco and the others fajita.

This tasty work of art is even spattered with sugary froth like that on white water. Japanese love this kind of thing – aesthetic AND functional.

The taste is both novel and delicious. While some purists may not like this one, but we think that it is a home run!

Ayugashi, Waka-ayu – Compare and Contrast

Aren’t they cute?

Ayugashi, Waka-ayu

Ayugashi Cutaway – Gyuhi Inside

Compare the ‘innards’.

Ayugashi Cutaway

Nakamuraken vs Heianden

Ayu – Sweetfish

Real ayu look like this, averaging just 15 cm.

Ayu Shio-yaki – Grilled with Salt

This is how people normally eat ayu.

About the Confectionaries and Locations

Nakamuraken 中村軒
Nakamuraken started out making mochi for farmers to eat while doing their field work. Their representative product is called mugitemochi, literally ‘wheat pay mochi’ because the farmers purchased the mochi with wheat. This mochi is still popular and very delicious, though it cannot be purchased with wheat any longer!

Nakamuraken is located in Katsura, near the Katsura Imperial Villa which is a must see for visitors to Kyoto. If you are going to visit the villa, be sure to stop by Nakamuraken. If you are not heading out to Katsura, you can find Nakamuraken’s products in Takashimaya Department Store.

English:
English website: no
English menu: no
Location and Access: Approximately 20 minute walk north-east from Hankyu Katsura Station, located just around the corner from the Katsura Imperial Villa. (There are signs along the way. Alternatively a taxi or bus can be taken.)
Address: Kyoto-shi Nishikyo-ku Katsura Asahara-cho 61 (京都市西京区桂浅原町61)
Telephone: 075-381-2650
www.nakamuraken.co.jp (Japanese language only)
Map:

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Heianden 平安殿
Heianden is located near Heian Shrine and Okazaki Park, a popular destination for visitors to Kyoto. Okazaki Park is where most of Kyoto’s prominent museums are located.

Heianden makes not only Japanese sweets, but also Western sweets and always uses notable Kyoto places and cultural objects as a motif on their products.

English:
English website: no
English menu: no
Location and Access: Approximately 5 minute walk from Higashiyama Station (Tozai Subway Line), south of Heian Shirine.
Address: 605-0038 Kyoto-shi Higashiyama-ku Sanjo-agaru Jingu-michi Horiike-cho (京都市東山区平安神宮道三条上ル堀池町)
Telephone: 075-761-3355
www.heianden-wagashi.jp (Japanese language only)
Map:
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Sentaro 仙太郎
Sentaro, established in 1886 and maintains it’s own farm lands in the agriculturally rich area of Tamba. Sentaro’s wagashi has a decided natural look to it, nearly everything in the showcase is shades of brown with occasional punctuations of green (yomogi) and pink (salted plum blossoms). Sentaro has a strict policy of not using any preservatives, artificial colors, or even much sugar.

English:
English website: no
English menu: no

Location and Access: Sentaro Honten (main store) is located on Teramachi Street about a 2 minute walk south from Shijo Street.
Address: 604-8032 Kyoto-shi Shimogyo-ku Teramachi-dori Bukkou-ji agaru Nakanomachi 576
(京都市下京区寺町通り仏光寺上る中之町576)
Telephone: 075-344-0700
www.sentaro.co.jp (Japanese language only)
Map:

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See previous KyotoFoodie article here.

Daigokuden 大極殿
The first castella in Japan was brought from Portugal and was very, very expensive food. The second generation owner of Daigokuden heard about castella and went to Nagasaki where the Portuguese were to learn how to make castella. He then returned to Kyoto to make affordable kasutera for common people.

Daigokuden developed the first electric oven in Japan in order to make even better kasutera. This oven is now in the Kansai Electric Power Company museum.

English:
English website: no
English menu: no
Location and Access: Approximately 5 minutes walk from Karasuma Station (Hankyu Railway) near Nishiki Market.
Address: 604-8117 Kyoto-shi Nakagyo-ku Rokkaku-dori Takakura Higashi-iru Minamigawa
(京都市中京区六角通高倉東入南側)
Telephone: 075-221-3311
www.inoda-coffee.co.jp/miyabi/shohin/daigokuden/index.html (Japanese language only)
Map:

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Tawaraya Yoshitomi 俵屋吉富
Tawaraya Yoshitomi established in 1755 and is now a very well known throughout Japan. Tawaraya Yoshitomi even has a wonderful confectionary history museum that is free and open to the public. They have a new store and cafe near both Omotesenke and Urasenke School of Tea H.Q.

English:
English website: no
English menu: no

Tawaraya Yoshitomi Honten (Main Store)
Location and Access: Approximately 5 minute walk from Imadegawa Station (Karasuma Subway Line).
Address: 602-0029 Kyoto-shi Kamigyo-ku Muromachi-dori Kamidachiuri-agaru (京都市上京区室町通上立売上ル)
Telephone: 075-432-2211
www.kyogashi.co.jp/b-1.html (Japanese language only)
Map:

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Tawaraya Yoshitomi Museum 京菓子資料館
Location and Access: Approximately 5 minute walk from Imadegawa Station (Karasuma Subway Line).
Address: 602-0021 Kyoto-shi Kamigyo-ku Karasuma-dori Kamidachiuri-agaru Yanaginozushi-cho 331-2 (京都府京都市上京区烏丸通り上立売上ル柳図子町331-2)
Telephone: 075-432-3101
www.kyogashi.co.jp/b-3.html (Japanese language only)
Map:

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Cafe Tawaraya (茶ろんたわらや)
Location and Access: Cafe Tawaraya is a new and delightful cafe. It is located in a fairly inconvenient but very historic neighborhood. If you are a tea ceremony fan and planning to visit Urasenke or Omotesenke, or going to the Nishijin historic weaving district, stop in at Cafe Tawaraya. See map.
Address: 602-0062 Kyoto-shi Kamigyo-ku Teranouchi-dori Ogawa-nishiiru, Hokyoin Higashi-machi 592 (京都市上京区寺之内通小川西入ル宝鏡院東町592)
Telephone: 075-411-0114
www.kyogashi.co.jp/b-2.html (Japanese language only)
Map:

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