Foods and Culture 2025
2026年1月16日金曜日
Dear all,
Here is the link.
I appreciated Fukao including the slides Shizuoka vs Fukui.
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Thank you, Satoshi San, for your detailed presentation. I would like to ask you two questions:
返信削除1. How does the pounding and coating process influence the texture of Abekawa-mochi?
2. How is Abekawa-mochi connected to local festivals, customs, or seasonal celebrations?
Thank you for your question, Ms.Sapna.
削除1. The soft and elastic texture of Abekawa-mochi is created by thoroughly steaming glutinous rice and then pounding it. This process breaks down the rice grains and produces a uniform, sticky dough. Coating the mochi with kinako (roasted soybean flour) reduces surface stickiness and enhances the contrast with the chewy interior.
2. Abekawa-mochi is a traditional sweet from the Abekawa River area in Shizuoka and was historically served to travelers. Today, it is commonly enjoyed at local festivals and seasonal events, symbolizing regional culture and hospitality.
Thank you for the presentation! I also like Abekawa mochi and often buy it as a souvenir.
返信削除In Fukui Prefecture, "Habutae mochi" is well known, but I didn’t know that Abekawa mochi also exists there.
Was Fukui’s Abekawa mochi introduced from Shizuoka prefecture?
Thank you for your question, Mr. Takano.
削除There is no clear historical evidence that Abekawa mochi in Fukui was directly introduced from Shizuoka.
It is more likely that the name and style spread from Shizuoka and became locally adapted in Fukui.
Thank you for your presentation. During New Year 2024, I had a chance to make mochi with my Japanese host family in Kusanagi at their friend’s house. It was a really interesting experience, especially trying the wooden mortar—it required a lot of strength.
返信削除I am curious – why is Abekawa-mochi mainly found in Shizuoka Prefecture? Is that because its ingredients need to be locally sourced for the specific taste?
Thank you for your question, Mr. Ritu.
削除Abekawa-mochi is mainly found in Shizuoka because it originated around the Abekawa River and became established there as a regional specialty.
Its ingredients are not unique to Shizuoka, so its association with the area is due more to history and local culture than to locally sourced ingredients.
Why is Fukui's abekawa mochi named after the abekawa?
返信削除I often see products sold with both red bean paste and kinako flavors inside, but have both flavors been popular for a long time?
Just based on the taste image, it seemed similar to ohagi.
I've bought it as a souvenir before, but I've never tried it myself, so I'd love to eat it at the shop someday.
Thank you for your question TONE san.
削除Fukui’s Abekawa mochi is named after the well-known Abekawa mochi from Shizuoka, reflecting the spread of the name rather than a direct local origin.
Thank you for your detailed and clear slides on Abekawa mochi.
返信削除I have a few questions that I am curious about:
1. Is there a specific brand or type of mochigome (glutinous rice) that is commonly used to make Abekawa mochi? I am interested in this because different types of mochigome may have unique characteristics that could influence the final texture of the mochi.
2. In your slides, you mentioned that Abekawa mochi is a local sweet from Shizuoka with a historical background. I am curious about how it spread historically to Fukui Prefecture? Since these two prefectures are geographically far apart.
I look forward to your feedback. Thank youu!
Thank you for your question, Amin san.
削除1. There is no single specific variety of glutinous rice used exclusively for Abekawa mochi. In general, high-quality mochigome commonly used for mochi is used, and the final texture depends more on the steaming and pounding process than on the rice variety itself.
2. There is no clear historical evidence that Abekawa mochi was directly introduced from Shizuoka to Fukui. It is more likely that the name and style spread through travel and trade as Shizuoka’s Abekawa mochi became well known and were later adapted locally in Fukui.
このコメントは投稿者によって削除されました。
返信削除Why does high amylopectin content lead to better elasticity in boba? Compared to other mochi-based foods shown in the slides, what makes Abekawa-mochi nutritionally or culturally unique?
返信削除Thank you for your question, Miyachi san.
返信削除Amylopectin forms a flexible, branched starch network when heated, which allows boba to stretch and bounce back instead of breaking, giving it a chewy texture. Abekawa-mochi is simple in ingredients—just mochi, kinako, and sugar—but culturally unique as a traditional sweet tied to Shizuoka’s local history and mochi-pounding customs.
It seems like there are many small traditional sweets in various parts of Japan that are topped with soybean flour(Kinako), red bean paste(Anko), brown sugar syrup(Kuromitsu), etc. There are also Nagamochi in Mie and Shingenmochi in Yamanashi. Is there a definition of Abekawamochi??
返信削除Thank you Matsui san.
返信削除That is a very important and perceptive question.
In short, Abekawamochi have a historical core definition, but its meaning has expanded in modern usage.
Thank you for the wonderful presentation. I also love Abekawa mochi. Is there a difference in the manufacturing process between regular kinako mochi and Abekawa mochi?
返信削除Thank you very much. I’m so glad you enjoyed the talk.
削除Yes — Abekawa mochi is very similar to kinako mochi, but it is traditionally made with freshly pounded soft mochi and coated immediately while warm, giving it a smoother texture and a lighter sweetness. It’s a special local style from Shizuoka.