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	<title>Kyoto Foodie: Where and what to eat in Kyoto &#187; Product</title>
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		<title>Kyoto Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review</title>
		<link>http://kyotofoodie.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&#038;feed=Articles+%28RSS2%29&#038;seed=http%3A%2F%2Fkyotofoodie.com%2Fotokomae-tofu-popular-products-review%2F&#038;seed_title=Kyoto+Otokomae+Tofu%3A+Popular+Products+Review</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:57:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kyoto Foodie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Product]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tofu yuba (豆腐・湯葉)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vegetarian/vegan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abura age deep fried tofu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nabe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Otokomae Tofu 男前豆腐店]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[takikomi-gohan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tofu]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Say hello to my favorite tofu brand: Otokomae Tofu. Otokomae Tofu is a Kyoto company, new and successful, but not an old and established <a title="Shinise - KyotoFoodie category" href="http://kyotofoodie.com/category/shinise/">shinise</a>. It is now a well-known brand throughout the country even with some distribution abroad, but it is a very un-Kyoto company. While Otokomae Tofu may be un-Kyoto, I think that&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Say hello to my favorite tofu brand: Otokomae Tofu. Otokomae Tofu is a Kyoto company, new and successful, but not an old and established <a title="Shinise - KyotoFoodie category" href="http://kyotofoodie.com/category/shinise/">shinise</a>. It is now a well-known brand throughout the country even with some distribution abroad, but it is a very un-Kyoto company. While Otokomae Tofu may be un-Kyoto, I think that it breathes some needed freshness into the culinary and business culture of stuffy old Kyoto.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-article-preview.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="580" height="220" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Otokomae Tofu Products</p></div>
<p>Otokomae Tofu is a company based in Kyoto prefecture that burst onto the supermarket shelves several years ago and is by all accounts a runaway success. The company name is very unusual, &#8216;otokomae&#8217; means handsome or good-looking. (You will no doubt notice the character &#8216;男&#8217; all over the packaging and  even on the tofu itself, in some cases, &#8216;男&#8217; means &#8216;man&#8217;.) Think of a tofu company in the English-speaking world called Handsome Guy Tofu. It is an ironic name in a country the traditionally displays little or no irony in public life and commerce. This brand name has helped the company score some marketing and PR points, I think. However, Otokomae Tofu makes the very best tofu that I have eaten. There are some famous old tofu shops in Kyoto, Morika and so on, and their tofu is very good but I don’t see the same quality among such a variety of products. So, I really like Otokomae Tofu and eat it at home a lot. Most supermarkets stock at least some of their products. They are a bit more expensive that other tofu, but the extra cost is well worth it, especially if you like tofu. The other day I bought a package of the cheapest tofu I could find in the supermarket, about 90 yen and it was indeed flavorless compared to Otokomae Tofu. Several of Otokomae Tofu’s products are so rich and creamy that they can just be eaten like ice cream or yogurt, right out of the package with no soy sauce or garnish.</p>
<p>Otokomae Tofu has an impressive line-up of products and I think I have tried them all, except for some minor seasonal ones. Here is a selection of what I like and also what is generally available at larger supermarkets in Japan. First, my favorites:</p>
<p>Fav 1: <strong>Purveyors to Nabe Gourmands: Otokomae Tofu 男前豆腐</strong><br />
This is Otokomae Tofu’s first product, the recipe that literally made the company and brought the founder to Kyoto. The specially developed package contributes to the unique taste and very dense texture. This tofu is very handmade looking and is not the usual square block. It is wrapped in gauze-like fabric and the package has a water trap at the bottom so it is well-drained of water when opened. This keeps the tofu damp and fresh but removes excess water.</p>
<p>The fragrance is fruity and the richness of taste is created with plenty of premium soybeans from Hokkaido. This tofu was made for nabe and sukiyaki. In fact you will notice the vertical red stripe on the right side of the package that reads 鍋将軍御用達 (nabe shogun goyotachi). If you have seen the film or read the book Shogun, you will know that this means military general. Nabe shogun or yakiniku shogun is a term used for someone who feels compelled to do all the cooking when having nabe or yakiniku with friends or family. (I am one of these slightly compulsive, perfectionist types.) Goyotachi means to be a purveyor of goods, usually culinary related, to the Imperial Household. Many confectionaries in Kyoto boast this inscription their noren curtain or shop interior. This ironic populism illustrates more of Otokomae Tofu’s clever humor sense and marketing acumen.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-7.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="580" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Otokomae Tofu (男前豆腐)</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-8.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="580" height="421" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Otokomae Tofu Package Detail - Notice the Water Trap at the Bottom (男前豆腐)@</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-9.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="580" height="387" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Otokomae Tofu After Unwrapping</p></div>
<p>Fav 2: <strong>Otokomae Aburaage 男前油揚げ</strong><br />
Aburaage is tofu that has been sliced thin and deep-fried. Aburaage can be used in soups and takikomi gohan. Aburaage is usually light and airy due to the deep-frying process. Otokomae Tofu&#8217;s aburaage is impossibly dense and heavy, with an equally dense and robust soy taste.</p>
<p>Aburaage can be used in many quick and healthy Japanese dishes such as soup, stir fry, <a title="Takikomi Gohan KyotoFoodie tag" href="http://kyotofoodie.com/tag/takikomi-gohan/">takikomi-gohan</a> and so on. (Aburaage recently appeared on KF in <a title="Hearty Mid-winter Salt Pork Mochi Rice Okowa Recipe" href="http://kyotofoodie.com/salt-pork-mochi-rice-okowa/">this okowa recipe</a> and <a title="KyotoFoodie-style Nikujaga Wagyu Tendon Beef Stew Recipe" href="http://kyotofoodie.com/kyotofoodie-style-nikujaga/">this niku jaga recipe</a>.) I think that it can be easily adapted into Western cuisine quite well and could appeal to people that aren’t big tofu fans.</p>
<p>Otokomae Tofu’s aburaage is surely the best aburaage that I have encountered. If you can get your hands on some, I think you are sure to be pleased!</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-13.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="500" height="700" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Otokomae Aburaage</p></div>
<p>Fav 3: <strong>Creme Fraiche Tofu? Oh yes! Meet, ‘Johnny’ 風に吹かれて豆腐屋ジョニー</strong><br />
This is the Otokomae Tofu&#8217;s second product and probably their most well-known. ‘Johnny’, or properly, ‘Wind Blown Tofu Shop, Johnny’ is a tofu product without peer on the supermarket shelves, both in terms of taste and image.   ‘Johnny’ in a package shaped like a surfboard, the barcode for the product is a wave with a surfer riding it! (see photo below) This is the first Japanese tofu to sport a Western man’s name as the product name. (Tofu products named with Japanese mens’ names con be found in Japan.)</p>
<p>Otokomae Tofu’s founder told me that this tofu has become such an iconic product that some Japanese children think that ‘Johnny’ means tofu and don’t use the word ‘tofu’ when telling their parents what they want to eat!</p>
<p>Now, when I think of kids and their favorite food, I have to admit that I don’t think of tofu. Kids want ice cream, right? Remarkably I sometimes find myself sitting on the kitchen floor eating this tofu right out of the package with a spoon and no soy sauce or other flavoring. This tofu is impossibly rich and creamy, it coats the palette and the taste lingers like ice cream. The taste, consistency and texture reminded me of creme fraiche, only with a ‘soybeany’ taste. If you didn’t know it were tofu, you might not realize it when encountering ‘Johnny’ for the first time.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 410px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-1.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="400" height="650" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Johnny: Surfboard Shaped Tofu Package</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-3.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="580" height="400" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Johnny Package Detail: With Surfer &#39;Design Barcode&#39;</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-2.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="580" height="387" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Johnny Package Detail: Surfboard Shaped Tofu Package</p></div>
<p><strong>Fav Package Design: Nippon Danji 日本男児</strong><br />
Nippon danji is the name of this tofu and it is a silky soft tofu  intended for <a title="How to Make Yudofu, By Yoshimi Tanigawa" href="http://kyoto-diary.kyotofoodie.com/post/109829099/how-to-make-yudofu">yudofu</a> (tofu hot-pot). Nippon danji expresses the qualities in the ideal man and is  based on <a title="Bushido - Wikipedia article" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushido">bushido</a>, or the samurai spirit. The Japanese notion of masculinity includes the following values:</p>
<p>・to always takes full responsibility for his actions (no excuses)<br />
・to always do what he says he will do (no need to make promises)<br />
・to not complain (not be weak)<br />
・to protect his family, society and country<br />
・to never betray another</p>
<p>Interestingly this tofu package features a bare-chested guy drinking directly from a huge bottle of sake. There is <span style="text-decoration: underline;">nothing</span> like this on the supermarket shelves!</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-10.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="580" height="700" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Manly Silky-soft Tofu Nippon Danji Package</p></div>
<p>While hard drinking isn&#8217;t &#8216;officially&#8217; a part of Nippon danji, it is  said that the men of Kyushu are the most masculine men in Japan and that  they are in general avid drinkers. Japan&#8217;s strongest alcoholic  beverage, shochu comes from Kyushu. (However, I think the &#8212; official or  unofficial &#8212; hardest drinkers in Japan are from Kochi Prefecture in  Shikoku.)</p>
<p>Sake bottles in Japan come in two main sizes; 72o㎖ and 1.8ℓ. The guy  in the picture is drinking from the 1.8ℓ bottle!</p>
<p>Thanks to this package design, I suppose the day is now coming when a  tofu  package will include a parental advisory!</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-11.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="580" height="760" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Manly Silky-soft Tofu Nippon Danji Package - detail</p></div>
<p>Tagline (bottom): 本物の男前はあなたを裏切ったりしない。Honmono no otokomae wa anata wo uragittari shinai.<br />
Meaning: A real man would never disappoint you.</p>
<p>Tofu, that makes a statement!</p>
<p><strong>Some Other Popular Otokomae Tofu Products</strong><br />
Here are a few other products that you ought to be able to find in most large grocery stores in Japan.</p>
<p>Product: <strong>Masahiro Yudofu</strong><br />
This is tofu for yudofu, simmering in broth. The face on this package is that of the man who actually makes this tofu in the Otokomae factory. The underside of the plastic package has a 男 character which impresses the character into the tofu which makes for an attractive presentation.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-4.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="580" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Masahiro: Masahiro is the name of the man on the production line that makes this tofu.</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-5.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="580" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Masahiro: Attention to Detail</p></div>
<p>Product: <strong>Atsuage Fujiyama 厚揚げフジヤマ</strong><br />
Atsuage is tofu that has been deep-fried, but unlike aburaage it has not been cut thin before deep-frying. Atsuage tofu is great in soups and nabe. When I do sukiyaki, I often use atsuage instead of regular tofu.</p>
<p>These come in triangular pieces, hence the reference to Mount Fuji in the product name.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-12.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="580" height="387" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Atsuage Mount Fuji</p></div>
<p>Product: <strong>Otokomae Kinudofu 男前絹豆腐</strong><br />
Kinu is silk in Japanese and the softest tofu is called kinogoshi: silken tofu. This product is Kyoto-style, extra soft and only available in winter.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/otokomae-tofu-popular-products-review/"><img class="size-full" title="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" src="http://homepage.mac.com/michael.baxter/media/kyoto-otokomae-tofu-products-6.jpg" alt="Otokomae Tofu: Popular Products Review 男前豆腐店 商品レビュー" width="580" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Otokomae Kyoto-style Silken Tofu, Limited Edition for Winter</p></div>
<p><strong>Where to Buy Otokomae Tofu Outside of Japan</strong><br />
Currently Otokomae Tofu is available in limited quantity in the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore. Visit Otokomae Tofu&#8217;s <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Otokomae-Tofu-Inc/117962837552">Facebook page</a> for the up-to-date list.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>United States</strong></span><br />
<strong>California</strong><br />
Mitsuwa Marketplace<br />
21515 Western Ave.<br />
Torrance, CA 90501<br />
TEL: (310) 782-0335</p>
<p>Mitsuwa Marketplace<br />
3760 Centinela Ave.<br />
Los Angeles, CA 90066<br />
TEL: (310) 398-2113</p>
<p>Mitsuwa Marketplace<br />
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd. #119<br />
San Diego, CA 92111<br />
TEL: (858) 569-6699</p>
<p>Mitsuwa Marketplace<br />
665 Paularino Ave.<br />
Costa Mesa, CA<br />
TEL:(714) 557-6699</p>
<p>Mitsuwa Marketplace<br />
675 Saratoga Ave.<br />
San Jose, CA 95129<br />
TEL: (408) 255-6699</p>
<p><strong>New York</strong><br />
Katagiri &amp; Co., Inc.<br />
224 E 59th Street<br />
New York, NY 10022<br />
TEL: (212) 755-3566</p>
<p>Sunrise Mart (SoHo)<br />
494 Broome Street<br />
New York, NY 10012<br />
TEL: (212) 219-0033</p>
<p>Sunrise Mart (East Village)<br />
4 Stuyvesant Street, 2nd Floor<br />
New York, NY 10003<br />
TEL: (212) 598-3040</p>
<p>Dainobu (Midtown)<br />
129 E 47th Street<br />
New York, NY 10017<br />
TEL: (212) 755-7380</p>
<p>Daido Japanese Market<br />
522 Mamaroneck Avenue<br />
White Plains, NY 10605<br />
TEL: (914) 683-6735</p>
<p>Nara Japanese Foods<br />
169 Main Street<br />
Port Washington, NY 11050<br />
TEL: (516) 883-1836</p>
<p><strong>New Jersey</strong><br />
Mitsuwa Marketplace<br />
595 River Road<br />
Edgewater, NJ 07020<br />
TEL: (201) 941-9113</p>
<p><strong>Chicago</strong><br />
Mitsuwa Marketplace<br />
100 E. Algonquin Road<br />
Arlington Hts., IL 60005<br />
TEL: (847) 956-6699</p>
<p><strong>Hawaii</strong><br />
Marukai Wholesale Mart<br />
2310 Kamehameha Hwy,<br />
Honolulu, HI 96819-4531<br />
Phone: (808) 845-5051</p>
<p>Don Quijote<br />
801 Kaheka Street<br />
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814<br />
TEL: 808-973-4800<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />
<strong>Hong Kong</strong></span><br />
Hong Kong Apita (Uny)<br />
Cityplaza2<br />
18 Taikoo Shing Rd.<br />
Quarry Bay, Hong Kong<br />
TEL: 852 2885 0331</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Singapore</strong></span><br />
Isetan Singapore<br />
435 Orchard Road<br />
Singapore 238877<br />
Singapore<br />
TEL: 65 6733 7777</p>
<p><strong>Links and Reference</strong><a title="Otokomae Tofu Inc." href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Otokomae-Tofu-Inc/117962837552"><br />
Otokomae Tofu&#8217;s English Facebook Page</a><br />
<a title="Otokomae Tofu" href="http://www.otokomae.com/">Otokomae Tofu&#8217;s Japanese Website</a></p>
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		<title>Wagashi: Miso Flavored Chigiri Mochi in Wasanbon Sugar</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:11:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kyoto Foodie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[machiya (町家)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[omiyage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shinise (老舗)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wagashi (和菓子)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gyuhi mochi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Honda Miso Honten]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kyoto Gosho Imperial Palace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[miso]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mochi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saikyo shiro white miso]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wasanbon]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kyotofoodie.com/?p=4007</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Kyoto Top-ten Foodie Omiyage Souvenir: Miso Chigiri Mochi
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&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Kyoto Top-ten Foodie Omiyage Souvenir: Miso Chigiri Mochi</p>
<p>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 &#8212; but even better!</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/miso-chigiri-mochi/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/honda-miso-chigiri-mochi-1.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" width="580" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Miso Chigiri Mochi Package - Wrapped</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/miso-chigiri-mochi/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/honda-miso-chigiri-mochi-2.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" width="580" height="387" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Miso Chigiri Mochi Package - Unwrapping</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/miso-chigiri-mochi/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/honda-miso-chigiri-mochi-3.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" width="580" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Miso Chigiri Mochi and Wasanbon Sugar</p></div>
<p><strong>How Does Miso Chigiri Mochi Taste?</strong><br />
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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>The fragrance is pronounced and includes the pungent punch of miso, but not too much.</p>
<p>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 (<a title="Kyoto-style Saikyo O-zoni White Miso Soup" href="http://kyotofoodie.com/kyoto-saikyo-miso-ozoni/">Saikyo shiro miso</a>) which has little salt and is not as pungent as darker and longer fermented miso varieties.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/miso-chigiri-mochi/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/honda-miso-chigiri-mochi-4.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" width="580" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Miso Chigiri Mochi and Wasanbon Sugar - detail (The pinks ones are not miso flavored.)</p></div>
<p><strong>Where to Buy</strong><br />
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 <a title="Kyoto Sawai Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy" href="http://kyotofoodie.com/kyoto-sawai-soy-sauce-candy/">Sawai Shoyu Honten</a> soy sauce brewery.</p>
<p>Honda Miso also offers white miso caramel which is also very good. </p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/miso-chigiri-mochi/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/honda-miso-chigiri-mochi-5.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" width="580" height="387" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Honda Miso Honten Entrance and Noren Curtain</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/miso-chigiri-mochi/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/honda-miso-chigiri-mochi-6.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" width="580" height="387" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Honda Miso Honten Interior</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 397px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/miso-chigiri-mochi/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/honda-miso-chigiri-mochi-7.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" width="387" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">White Miso Caramel</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/miso-chigiri-mochi/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/honda-miso-chigiri-mochi-8.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Miso Chigiri Mochi 本田味噌本店 味噌ちぎり餅" width="580" height="387" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Samples are available just to the left of the entrance.</p></div>
<p><strong>SHARE!</strong> Kyoto Support Forum: <a href="http://openkyoto.com/kyoto-support/forum/shopping-souvenirs-and-kyoto-meibutsu">Shopping, Souvenirs and Kyoto Meibutsu</a></p>
<p><strong>SHARE!</strong> Kyoto Support Topic: <a href="http://openkyoto.com/kyoto-support/topic/purchase-basic-ingredients-japanese-cooking-kyoto">Where to Purchase Basic Ingredients for Japanese Cooking in Kyoto</a></p>
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<p><strong>Map to Honda Miso Honten</strong><br />
<iframe width="500" height="500" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;lr=lang_en&amp;msa=0&amp;msid=115039365892753127164.000445cff35fa2bfc5a51&amp;ll=35.030032,135.75855&amp;spn=0.008785,0.010729&amp;z=16&amp;output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;lr=lang_en&amp;msa=0&amp;msid=115039365892753127164.000445cff35fa2bfc5a51&amp;ll=35.030032,135.75855&amp;spn=0.008785,0.010729&amp;z=16&amp;source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">OpenKyoto/KyotoFoodie Map</a> in a larger map</small></p>
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		<series:name><![CDATA[Do Not Miss]]></series:name>
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		<title>Kyoto Sawai Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:09:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kyoto Foodie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Nakagyo-ku (中京区)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shinise (老舗)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ame]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ameya candy shop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kakushi aji hidden taste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[omiyage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shoyu soy sauce]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Japanese make hard candy with some novel indigenous ingredients and flavors that often sound culinarily dubious but actually taste quite good. This is one, shoyu ame, or soy sauce candy. It is made by a shinise shoyu producer that still makes handcrafted soy sauce the heart of the ancient city, just a few minutes walk from the Gosho Imperial Palace.&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Japanese make hard candy with some novel indigenous ingredients and flavors that often sound culinarily dubious but actually taste quite good. This is one, shoyu ame, or soy sauce candy. It is made by a shinise shoyu producer that still makes handcrafted soy sauce the heart of the ancient city, just a few minutes walk from the Gosho Imperial Palace. While soy sauce might not sound like a good match for sweets, there are some precedents in Japanese culinary tradition.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/kyoto-sawai-soy-sauce-candy/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Marusawa Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy 澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kyoto-shoyu-ame-soy-sauce-candy-1.jpg" alt="Kyoto Marusawa Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy 澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴" width="580" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Japanese Hard Candy: Shoyu Ame</p></div>
<p><strong>Sawai Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy 澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴</strong><br />
Sawai Shoyu has been in business in Kyoto since 1879 and makes the premium quality brand of Marusawa Soy Sauce. The immediate neighborhood smells nearly oppressively of fermenting and brewing soy sauce and the old wooden store houses can be seen at the back of the site.</p>
<p>I have used Marusawa shoyu and ponzu for several years but when I stopped by the other day to get my favorite grapefruit ponzu I spotted this hard candy flavored with soy sauce. I have seen this kind of candy before but I don&#8217;t recall ever eating it so I picked up a bag.</p>
<p>The sauce that is poured over <a title="Just Hungry Recipe - Mitarashi dango, rice dough dumplings with sweet-salty sauce" href="http://www.justhungry.com/mitarashi-dango-rice-dough-dumplings-sweet-salty-sauce">mitarashi dango grilled mochi dumplings</a> is sweet and shoyu based. I don&#8217;t much like it but it is very popular with Japanese and this confection was invented in Kyoto centuries ago.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/kyoto-sawai-soy-sauce-candy/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Marusawa Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy 澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kyoto-shoyu-ame-soy-sauce-candy-4.jpg" alt="Kyoto Marusawa Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy 澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴" width="580" height="595" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Award Winning Soy Sauce: Marusawa Brand Shoyu</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/kyoto-sawai-soy-sauce-candy/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Marusawa Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy 澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kyoto-shoyu-ame-soy-sauce-candy-2.jpg" alt="Kyoto Marusawa Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy 澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴" width="580" height="595" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Award Winning Soy Sauce: Marusawa Brand Shoyu</p></div>
<p><strong>How did soy sauce candy taste?</strong><br />
It hardly tasted of soy sauce. It tasted like hard candy with this, hmm, what is that taste in there? If I hadn&#8217;t known that it included shoyu, I doubt that I would have caught it, it was that subtle. Actually, I think that the taste was a bit too understated. Obviously, a little shoyu goes a long way &#8212; with anything, especially candy! However, my tongue wants to know what it is that I am eating. It is not enough for my eyes to just read the label and know.</p>
<p>There is a concept in Japanese cuisine called kakushi-aji, literally &#8216;hidden taste&#8217;. A hidden taste is what it sounds like. It is there, you pick it up but it is not quite pronounced enough for most people to be able to isolate it and identify it. For example, in Kyoto-style sushi, quite a bit of dashi broth is used to make the sushi rice. If you just taste the sushi rice, you can&#8217;t miss it. By the time it becomes sushi, it isn&#8217;t a prominent taste but it does add depth and complexity to the overall flavor.</p>
<p>I see the shoyu in this candy as fulfilling the function of a kakushi-aji but it is billed as the main event on the package. I doubt that was the makers intent, but that is how it comes off for me. Whatever the case, it is a contradiction. I think that if they doubled the amount of soy sauce they put in, it would be just right. But, I could easily be wrong! I think this is a tough combination to get just right. But this is Kyoto, it has to be just right!</p>
<p>There is a shinise that makes salt flavored hard candy that I sometimes but, it isn&#8217;t from Kyoto. It is out of this world, and I don&#8217;t even like salt! That candy is subtle and delicate yet you know you are eating salt flavored candy. So, I think my ideal is possible.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, I like this shoyu ame candy quite a lot and it would make a novel and tasty omiyage souvenir to bring back home.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 440px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/kyoto-sawai-soy-sauce-candy/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Marusawa Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy 澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kyoto-shoyu-ame-soy-sauce-candy-3.jpg" alt="Kyoto Marusawa Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy 澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴" width="430" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Shuyu Ame Package</p></div>
<p>This is a very lame package design with lots of plastic waste. It needs some serious <a title="Kaizen continuous improvement - Wikipedia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen">kaizen</a>. Too bad.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/kyoto-sawai-soy-sauce-candy/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Marusawa Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy 澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kyoto-marusawa-shoyu-brewery-1.jpg" alt="Kyoto Marusawa Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy 澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴" width="580" height="410" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Marusawa Shoyu Honten Machiya Facade</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 420px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/kyoto-sawai-soy-sauce-candy/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Marusawa Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy 澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kyoto-marusawa-shoyu-brewery-2.jpg" alt="Kyoto Marusawa Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy 澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴" width="410" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Marusawa Shoyu Honten Sign</p></div>
<p><strong>SHARE!</strong> Kyoto Support Forum: <a href="http://openkyoto.com/kyoto-support/forum/shopping-souvenirs-and-kyoto-meibutsu">Shopping, Souvenirs and Kyoto Meibutsu</a></p>
<p><strong>SHARE!</strong> Kyoto Support Topic: <a href="http://openkyoto.com/kyoto-support/topic/purchase-basic-ingredients-japanese-cooking-kyoto">Where to Purchase Basic Ingredients for Japanese Cooking in Kyoto</a></p>
<p><strong>Tweet! Tweet!</strong> Find out what’s going on in Kyoto right now, follow me on <a title="Kyoto Tweets" href="http://twitter.com/kyotofoodie/">Twitter</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Map to Sawai Shoyu Honten</strong><br />
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		<title>Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan &#8216;Instant&#8217; Miso Soup</title>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:53:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kyoto Foodie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[machiya (町家)]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[vegetarian/vegan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abura age deep fried tofu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[daikon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Honda Miso Honten]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kyoto Gosho Imperial Palace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[miso]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Kyoto Quality Instant Miso Soup: Honda Miso Honten is a shinise miso producer and dealer that has been in business in Kyoto for about 170 years. Honda Miso is located just west side of the Kyoto Gosho Imperial Palace. The Honda Miso retail store occupies a very beautiful old Kyoto machiya townhouse with a full selection of their long loved&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Kyoto Quality Instant Miso Soup:</strong> Honda Miso Honten is a shinise miso producer and dealer that has been in business in Kyoto for about 170 years. Honda Miso is located just west side of the Kyoto Gosho Imperial Palace. The Honda Miso retail store occupies a very beautiful old Kyoto machiya townhouse with a full selection of their long loved varieties of miso paste and some other new and interesting products such as white miso caramel!</p>
<p>Hondo Miso doesn&#8217;t just make traditional things, a real shinise is said to develop with the times. Honda Miso now offers an &#8216;instant&#8217; type miso soup that is quick and easy to make and does have the refined taste of Kyoto. It is called Ichi Wan, which literally means &#8216;one bowl&#8217;, because it makes just one serving of miso soup. I don&#8217;t usually go for instant foods but this looked like it could be a winner and it is from Honda Miso so I gave it a try.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/honda-miso-ichiwan/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan Miso Soup 本田味噌本店 一わんみそ汁" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kyoto-honda-miso-ichiwan-miso-1.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan Miso Soup 本田味噌本店 一わんみそ汁" width="580" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Ichiwan Miso Soup Package</p></div>
<p><strong>Honda Miso Ichiwan Miso Soup 本田味噌本店 一わんみそ汁 油揚げ</strong><br />
Honda Miso&#8217; Ichiwan Miso Soup comes in three flavors and I chose abura age which means deep fried tofu. The shell looks like <a title="KyotoFoodie Monaka tag" href="http://kyotofoodie.com/tag/monaka/">monaka</a> as in <a title="Shiruko Azuki Bean Soup - KyotoFoodie article" href="http://kyotofoodie.com/wagashi-shiruko/">this article</a> but it is made from fu, which is wheat gluten. Inside is Kyoto-style sweet white miso, abura age and daikon radish, these ingredients are freeze dried and reconstitute immediately upon application of hot water.</p>
<p>Fu is a common ingredient in Kyoto cuisine and was popularized by Buddhist monks in centuries past.</p>
<p><strong>How To Make Ichiwan Miso</strong><br />
1. Unwrap<br />
2. Break apart dried wheat gluten &#8216;fu&#8217; shell<br />
3. Pour on hot water<br />
4. Allow to reconstitute (I waited about 1 minute)<br />
5. Stir a bit and enjoy</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/honda-miso-ichiwan/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan Miso Soup 本田味噌本店 一わんみそ汁" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kyoto-honda-miso-ichiwan-miso-2.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan Miso Soup 本田味噌本店 一わんみそ汁" width="580" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Ichiwan Miso Soup Unwrapped - Perhaps a Bit Bland to the Eye and Senses</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/honda-miso-ichiwan/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan Miso Soup 本田味噌本店 一わんみそ汁" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kyoto-honda-miso-ichiwan-miso-3.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan Miso Soup 本田味噌本店 一わんみそ汁" width="580" height="387" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Ichiwan Miso Soup Broken Apart in the Bowl</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/honda-miso-ichiwan/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan Miso Soup 本田味噌本店 一わんみそ汁" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kyoto-honda-miso-ichiwan-miso-4.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan Miso Soup 本田味噌本店 一わんみそ汁" width="580" height="409" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Ichiwan Miso Soup Served</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/honda-miso-ichiwan/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan Miso Soup 本田味噌本店 一わんみそ汁" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kyoto-honda-miso-ichiwan-miso-5.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan Miso Soup 本田味噌本店 一わんみそ汁" width="580" height="580" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Ichiwan Miso Soup - Fu, Daikon and Agedofu</p></div>
<p><strong>How did it taste?</strong><br />
The taste is the classic Kyoto-style sweet miso soup but I was struck by the variety of textures. The fu is very soft and gooey, the abura age is spongy and chewy and the daikon slivers are quite crunchy and chewy. I was really impressed with the taste and especially the textures. In addition to being quick and convenient, it was fun to make and eat!</p>
<p>My only criticism, as someone that has designed and developed a few products is that after the shell is broken apart and reconstituted, the shapes of the chunks of fu are unpleasant to the eye. This wouldn&#8217;t pass muster as Kyoto-style. I removed a few particularly uneven shaped and large pieces of fu before I took the photos above. Sorry, I cheated. I think that what they need to do is to score or perforate the fu somehow so that it breaks into more regular or square shaped pieces. That would make it &#8216;Kyoto&#8217; and that would be quite a feat for instant soup but with a little Japanese <a title="kaizen improvement - Wikipedia article" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen">kaizen</a>, I am sure they can perfect the design!</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 590px"><a href="http://kyotofoodie.com/honda-miso-ichiwan/"><img class="size-full" title="Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan Miso Soup 本田味噌本店 一わんみそ汁" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/kyoto-honda-miso-ichiwan-miso-6.jpg" alt="Kyoto Honda Miso Ichiwan Miso Soup 本田味噌本店 一わんみそ汁" width="580" height="450" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Honda Miso Honten Retail Store (本田味噌本店)</p></div>
<p>This is the entrance to Honda Miso, it is about a 3 minute walk from the Imperial Palace.</p>
<p><strong>SHARE!</strong> Kyoto Support Topic: <a href="http://openkyoto.com/kyoto-support/topic/purchase-basic-ingredients-japanese-cooking-kyoto">Where to Purchase Basic Ingredients for Japanese Cooking in Kyoto</a></p>
<p><strong>Tweet! Tweet!</strong> Find out what’s going on in Kyoto right now, follow me on <a title="Kyoto Tweets" href="http://twitter.com/kyotofoodie/">Twitter</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Map to Honda Miso Honten</strong><br />
<iframe width="500" height="500" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;lr=lang_en&amp;msa=0&amp;msid=115039365892753127164.000445cff35fa2bfc5a51&amp;ll=35.030032,135.75855&amp;spn=0.008785,0.010729&amp;z=16&amp;output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;lr=lang_en&amp;msa=0&amp;msid=115039365892753127164.000445cff35fa2bfc5a51&amp;ll=35.030032,135.75855&amp;spn=0.008785,0.010729&amp;z=16&amp;source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">OpenKyoto/KyotoFoodie Map</a> in a larger map</small></p>
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		<title>Satsuma Imo (Sweet Potato) Caramel</title>
		<link>http://kyotofoodie.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&#038;feed=Articles+%28RSS2%29&#038;seed=http%3A%2F%2Fkyotofoodie.com%2Fsatsuma-imo-caramel%2F&#038;seed_title=Satsuma+Imo+%28Sweet+Potato%29+Caramel</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:58:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kyoto Foodie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japanese culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wagashi (和菓子)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caramel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japanese candy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[junk food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meibutsu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mizuame sweetener]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[sweet potato satsuma imo]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Classic Japanese Candy: Sweet Potato Caramel. I have been a fan of bontan ame candy for some time and have written about it twice on KyotoFoodie. The company that makes it also makes another unique soft candy product made with the produce of Kyoto: sweet potato. I knew about this sweet potato caramel but had never been able to find&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Classic Japanese Candy: Sweet Potato Caramel. I have been a fan of bontan ame candy for some time and have written about it twice on KyotoFoodie. The company that makes it also makes another unique soft candy product made with the produce of Kyoto: sweet potato. I knew about this sweet potato caramel but had never been able to find it. I finally found some!</p>
<h3>Classic Japanese Candy: Sweet Potato Caramel さつまいもキャラメル</h3>
<p>This unique caramel is made by the same Kyushu based company that makes <a title="Bontan Ame – Traditional Japanese Gyuhi-Mochi and Pectin Soft Candy" href="http://kyotofoodie.com/bontan-ame/">bontan ame</a>, another <a title="KyotoFoodie 'meibutsu' tag" href="http://kyotofoodie.com/tag/meibutsu/">meibutsu</a> (meisan) product. It indeed has a &#8216;caramely&#8217; taste but is not as sticky and chewy as Western caramel. It still has a tiny hint of the granular stringiness of sweet potatoes. As bontan ame, it is not that sweet, probably about the right sweetness to satisfy a sweet tooth but not enough to affect the waistline.</p>
<p>This soft candy, like bontan ame is wrapped in the edible cellophane called oblaat that came to Japan with Western medicine at the beginning of the Meiji era. The oblaat immediately melts on contact with the tongue.</p>
<p>The ingredients are; mizuame (lit. &#8216;water candy&#8217;, a traditional sweetener), satsuma imo sweet potato, butter, sugar and condensed milk. Sweet potato makes up about 1/3 of the volume of each soft candy.</p>
<p>This, like bontan ame is very fascinating to me because it is made with Japanese ingredients and to Japanese tastes, but it was very obviously inspired by Western candy. In the <a title="Taishō period Wikipedia article" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taishō_period">Taisho era</a> (1912-1926) Japan was heavily influenced and inspired by the West but was still distinctly Japanese. Much of the art, design, fashion and products of this era are very interesting to Westerners because they are modern, but not quite exotic. There is a connection to us but also there is something unique that we could not have come up with. I think that this era was Japan&#8217;s modern &#8216;Golden Age&#8217;.</p>
<p><strong>Nostalgic Package Design</strong><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full" title="Classic Japanese Candy: Sweet Potato Caramel さつまいもキャラメル" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/satsuma-imo-caramel-1.jpg" alt="Classic Japanese Candy: Sweet Potato Caramel さつまいもキャラメル" width="480" height="480" /></p>
<p><strong>Sweet Potato Caramel with Oblaat Wrapping</strong><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full" title="Classic Japanese Candy: Sweet Potato Caramel さつまいもキャラメル" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/satsuma-imo-caramel-2.jpg" alt="Classic Japanese Candy: Sweet Potato Caramel さつまいもキャラメル" width="480" height="480" /></p>
<p><strong>Satsuma Imo (Sweet Potato)</strong><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full" title="Classic Japanese Candy: Sweet Potato Caramel さつまいもキャラメル" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/satsuma-imo-caramel-3.jpg" alt="Classic Japanese Candy: Sweet Potato Caramel さつまいもキャラメル" width="480" height="320" /><br />
<strong><br />
Sweet Potatoes in Japanese Culinary Culture</strong><br />
Sweet potatoes are more ubiquitous in Japan than you might imagined. They are used in all sorts of dishes, especially confections. Sweet potatoes came to Japan from South America through Southeast Asia, China and the Ryukyu Kingdom, present-day Okinawa and landed in Kyushu about 300 years ago.</p>
<p>Production of satsuma imo soon flourished on the southern tip of Japan (called Satsuma then) because of the volcanic soil and hot climate. Kyushu&#8217;s famed imo-jochu, the shochu distilled alcohol of the region, is made from these same sweet potatoes. Farther north in Japan wheat and rice is used.</p>
<p>Production of sweet potatoes was limited to the Satsuma region for some time until a horrible famine swept Japan. The people in present-day Kagoshima and Nagasaki prefectures fared significantly better than other areas because they had an abundant supply of rich and hardy sweet potatoes. After the famine, satsuma imo production was promoted by the Tokugawa Shogunate in Tokyo and quickly spread throughout the country.</p>
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		<title>Bontan Ame &#8211; Traditional Japanese Gyuhi-Mochi and Pectin Soft Candy</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:05:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kyoto Foodie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japanese culture]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[japanese fruit]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Our regular readers may recall last year that we introduced Bontan Ame, a classic soft Japanese mochi-like candy made in the southern island of Kyushu with a regional citrus called bontan. I don&#8217;t eat much candy but in recent months I have become bontan ame crazed! I eat a box of it nearly everyday. Fortunately bontan ame is not terribly&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Our regular readers may recall last year that we introduced Bontan Ame, a classic soft Japanese mochi-like candy made in the southern island of Kyushu with a regional citrus called bontan. I don&#8217;t eat much candy but in recent months I have become bontan ame crazed! I eat a box of it nearly everyday. Fortunately bontan ame is not terribly high in calories.</p>
<h3>Classic Japanese Candy: Bontan Ame &#8211; Mochi and Pectin Soft Candy ボンタンアメ</h3>
<p>At a little old store in Kyoto, I found this HUGE box of bontan ame and had to get it. I have never seen a candy box so large in Japan. &#8220;Now this is some American-style SUPER SIZED bontan ame!&#8221;, I thought, when I spotted it. It is equal to about 5 boxes of the regular sized bontan ame.</p>
<p>The package design of bontan ame is a classic and harkens back to the era when Japan was modernizing based on Western influence and technology but was still distinctly Japanese, unlike the Japan of today that too often apes whatever is popular in the West. This era, about 80 years ago is one of my favorite eras of Japanese history, the other being the Warring States period.</p>
<p><strong>Bontan Ame Candy and Nostalgic Package</strong><br />
<img title="Bontan Ame - Traditional Japanese Gyuhi Mochi and Pectin Soft Candy ボンタンアメ 文旦飴" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/bontan-ame-candy-super-size-1.jpg" alt="Bontan Ame - Traditional Japanese Gyuhi Mochi and Pectin Soft Candy ボンタンアメ 文旦飴" width="580" height="580" /></p>
<blockquote><p><strong>About Bontan Ame</strong><br />
This candy (<em>ame</em>) is made from the <em>bontan</em>, also <em>buntan</em> (ぼんたん、文旦) fruit. This fruit is similar to a grapefruit but larger. Large specimens are the size of a volleyball. This fruit came to Japan from Southeast Asia so it grows in the southern-most island of Kyushu where the climate is most suitable.</p>
<p><em>Bontan ame</em> was has been made by a company in Kagoshima City, Kyushu since 1926. It is said to be inspired by caramel. It is made of <em>mochi</em>, <em>gyuhi</em>, <em>mizuame</em> (traditional sweetener) and the <em>bontan</em> fruit juice.</p>
<p>Interestingly, each piece of candy is individually wrapped and is eaten <span style="text-decoration: underline;">with</span> the wrapper on. The wrapper is made of <em>oblaat</em> which is gelatinous, transparent film that melts immediately on contact with the tongue. <em>Oblaat</em> originally came to Japan with Dutch medicine, it was used to wrap up bitter medicine in a package like modern-day gelatin capsules. In <em>bontan ame</em> it is utilized to prevent the sticky <em>mochi</em>-based <em>ame</em> pieces from sticking to one another.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>How Does Bontan Ame Taste?</strong><br />
The first thing you notice about bontan ame is the oblaat, the odd crunch on your teeth from what seems like crisp cellophane. This lasts for only the first bite as it melts away in an instant.</p>
<p>If you didn&#8217;t know that bontan ame were made with citrus, you might not realize it when taste it as the taste is not heavy on citrus. It is certainly not sour or bitter like lemon or grapefruit. I suspect that the citrus aspect of bontan ame has been purposely mellowed, even more so than the fruit itself.</p>
<p>To me bontan ame is all about the texture. As it is made with gyuhi mochi and citrus pectin so it is of course very soft and chewy.</p>
<p>Like most Japanese sweets, the taste itself is not particularly sweet. Not just citrus, not just mochi, not just mizuame; it is a taste of what Japan created after initial exposure to Western technology and culinary culture. There isn&#8217;t really anything like it being developed by &#8216;junk food&#8217; companies in Japan today.</p>
<p>If you come to Japan and you want to try to find some bontan ame, it is available in most grocery stores and some convenience stores. Look for the distinctive package.</p>
<p><strong>Bontan Ame Candy and Nostalgic Package</strong><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full" title="Bontan Ame - Traditional Japanese Gyuhi Mochi and Pectin Soft Candy ボンタンアメ 文旦飴" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/bontan-ame-candy-super-size-1.jpg" alt="Bontan Ame - Traditional Japanese Gyuhi Mochi and Pectin Soft Candy ボンタンアメ 文旦飴" width="580" height="580" /></p>
<p><strong>Bontan Ame Soft Candies with Edible Oblaat Wrapping</strong><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full" title="Bontan Ame - Traditional Japanese Gyuhi Mochi and Pectin Soft Candy ボンタンアメ 文旦飴" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/bontan-ame-candy-super-size-2.jpg" alt="Bontan Ame - Traditional Japanese Gyuhi Mochi and Pectin Soft Candy ボンタンアメ 文旦飴" width="580" height="480" /></p>
<p><strong>Bontan Ame &#8211; Early Modern Japanese Package Design</strong><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full" title="Bontan Ame - Traditional Japanese Gyuhi Mochi and Pectin Soft Candy ボンタンアメ 文旦飴" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/bontan-ame-candy-super-size-3.jpg" alt="Bontan Ame - Traditional Japanese Gyuhi Mochi and Pectin Soft Candy ボンタンアメ 文旦飴" width="580" height="820" /></p>
<p><strong>Bontan Ame &#8211; Early Modern Japanese Package Design</strong><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full" title="Bontan Ame - Traditional Japanese Gyuhi Mochi and Pectin Soft Candy ボンタンアメ 文旦飴" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/bontan-ame-candy-super-size-4.jpg" alt="Bontan Ame - Traditional Japanese Gyuhi Mochi and Pectin Soft Candy ボンタンアメ 文旦飴" width="580" height="387" /></p>
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		<title>Junk Food in Japan: Mochi Mochi &#8216;Mushi Pan&#8217; Steamed Bread</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 2009 04:08:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kyoto Foodie</dc:creator>
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		<category><![CDATA[mochi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mushi-pan steamed bread]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[While it might be hard to believe, and I am not ashamed, some junk food in Japan really captivates me. This quasi-junk food, mochi mochi mushi pan, or steamed bread has got me. I haven&#8217;t been able to get over it for a year now so I thought that I ought to introduce it on KyotoFoodie. It is quite interesting&#8230;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>While it might be hard to believe, and I am not ashamed, some junk food in Japan really captivates me. This quasi-junk food, mochi mochi mushi pan, or steamed bread has got me. I haven&#8217;t been able to get over it for a year now so I thought that I ought to introduce it on KyotoFoodie. It is quite interesting stuff!</p>
<p><strong>Mochi Mochi &#8216;Mushi Pan&#8217; Steamed Bread  もちもち蒸しパン</strong></p>
<p>I first became acquainted with steamed bread in Western China. In China the steamed bread that I have had was usually filled with minced meat, spices and vegetables. In Japan, steamed bread, called mushi pan, is something that I have heard a lot of Japanese friends profess their love for, but I was never really into it. I am a REAL bread aficionado. I am really into all the Kyoto and Japanese cuisine you see on KyotoFoodie, but there is just nothing better to me than good bread and good butter. And where I come from, bread isn&#8217;t steamed.</p>
<p>Being steamed does create a very interestingly textured bread. It is quite heavy and wet. But mushi pan is usually sweetened with beans. I am not into that.</p>
<p>Then I met Mochi Mochi Mushi Pan, and I am a steamed bread fan!</p>
<p><strong>Mochi Mochi Mushi Pan &#8211; Junk Food Package</strong><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full" title="Junk Food in Japan: Mochi Mochi 'Mushi Pan' Steamed Bread  もちもち蒸しパン" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mochi-mochi-mushi-pan-steamed-bread-1.jpg" alt="Junk Food in Japan: Mochi Mochi 'Mushi Pan' Steamed Bread  もちもち蒸しパン" width="480" height="480" /></p>
<p><strong>How Does Mochi Mochi Mushi Pan Taste?</strong><br />
’Mochi mochi&#8217; refers to the Japanese mochi rice cake made from sticky glutinous rice. Mochi mochi is a playful, onomatopoeic adjective that illustrates the heft and stickiness of this bread. This product is intended to be the meeting of steamed bread and mochi, and this sort of texture appeals very much to Japanese.</p>
<p>The taste is not very &#8216;bready&#8217;, it reminds me a bit of pancakes,  though too soft to be just a thick square pancake on the convenience store shelf. It really is something unique.</p>
<p>The bread is said to be milk caramel flavored. I picked up the caramel well, not too sweet though. But I didn&#8217;t get any milk flavor.</p>
<p>The top of the bread is pleasantly golden brown so it is not only steamed. At the end it must be exposed to direct heat from a flame or broiler. While taking a bite the aroma of grilled pancake and caramel is obvious, but not overdone.</p>
<p>The texture, the look and feel, the aroma, the flavor, everything is so perfectly done that this could only have been created in a laboratory. Alas, it is certainly junk food. But what junk food!</p>
<p>Mochi Mochi Mushi Pan is for sale in many of the convenience stores (Lawson and 99 Shop) and supermarkets in my neighborhood. It costs between 100 and 120 yen, depending on the store.</p>
<p><strong>Mochi Mochi Mushi Pan &#8211; Served</strong><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full" title="Junk Food in Japan: Mochi Mochi 'Mushi Pan' Steamed Bread  もちもち蒸しパン" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mochi-mochi-mushi-pan-steamed-bread-2.jpg" alt="Junk Food in Japan: Mochi Mochi 'Mushi Pan' Steamed Bread  もちもち蒸しパン" width="480" height="345" /><br />
<strong>Mochi Mochi Mushi Pan</strong><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full" title="Junk Food in Japan: Mochi Mochi 'Mushi Pan' Steamed Bread  もちもち蒸しパン" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mochi-mochi-mushi-pan-steamed-bread-3.jpg" alt="Junk Food in Japan: Mochi Mochi 'Mushi Pan' Steamed Bread  もちもち蒸しパン" width="480" height="320" /></p>
<p><strong>Mochi Mochi Mushi Pan &#8211; detail</strong><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full" title="Junk Food in Japan: Mochi Mochi 'Mushi Pan' Steamed Bread  もちもち蒸しパン" src="http://kyotofoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mochi-mochi-mushi-pan-steamed-bread-4.jpg" alt="Junk Food in Japan: Mochi Mochi 'Mushi Pan' Steamed Bread  もちもち蒸しパン" width="480" height="480" /></p>
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