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  7. Wakasa-no-Oyaki (Mugwort Mochi)

Wakasa-no-Oyaki (Mugwort Mochi) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

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  • Tottori Prefecture

    Wakasa-no-Oyaki (Mugwort Mochi)

Wakasa-no-Oyaki (Mugwort Mochi)

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  • Wakasa-no-Oyaki (Mugwort Mochi)
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    Image source: Hyonosen Shizen Hureai Kan Hibiki no Mori

  • Wakasa-no-Oyaki (Mugwort Mochi)
    DOWNLOAD

    Image source: Hyonosen Shizen Hureai Kan Hibiki no Mori

  • Main lore areas

    Wakasa Town

  • Main ingredients used

    Maki powder (mix of short-grain rice flour and glutinous rice flour), Red bean paste, Mugwort

  • History/origin/related events

    The "Wakasa Shrine Grand Festival", held annually in May for approximately 400 years, and the "Wakasa Festival" held every two years on May 3rd, feature portable shrines, processions, lion dances, and more. "Oyaki" serves as a hospitality dish during these events. Traditionally, local residents prepare oyaki with mugwort at home, and in the evening, the aroma of these oyaki being grilled on hot plates would waft through the town. The practice of praying for peace, prosperity, and abundant harvests, offering them to the shrine, and placing them on the household altar has been passed down through generations.
    When it comes to oyaki, the well-known regional dish across the country involves wrapping vegetables or other ingredients in dough made from wheat flour or buckwheat flour, particularly in Nagano Prefecture. However, in Wakasa Town, Tottori Prefecture, oyaki refers to a confection made by wrapping sweet red bean paste in a dough kneaded from glutinous rice and short-grain rice flour.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    "Wakasa's Oyaki" is said to be made using a turtle-shell-shaped mold passed down through generations in each household, often engraved with the characters for "dai" (big) or the family name. It was traditionally offered to visitors and relatives. Although the tradition of hand-making oyaki has diminished, with fewer families engaging in the practice, Wakasa Town's oyaki continues to be a beloved souvenir and a traditional gift for visitors to Wakasa Benzaiten Shrine.

  • How to eat

    To make "Wakasa's Oyaki", you would first crush mugwort in a blender and knead it together with (maki-no) flour and water to create the dough. Use this dough to wrap the sweet red bean paste and shape it using a mold. Partially cook it in a frying pan before adding water and steaming it. It can be frozen and reheated in the microwave or pan-fried for a different texture when ready to eat.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)
    "Wakasa's Oyaki" is available for purchase at local Japanese sweet shops, roadside stations (roadside farmar's market stop), and other places within Wakasa Town. It is also offered as a return gift for furusato nozei (hometown tax) contributions. The local municipal kindergarten collaborates with volunteers involved in food education every year to allow the children to experience making oyaki. In addition, various facilities in the town organize events, especially around Children's Day on May 5th, where people can experience traditional activities and make oyaki with mugwort.

RECIPE

Ingredients (about 75 pieces)

  • Makino powder (mix of short-grain rice flour and glutinous rice flour) 1 kg
  • Red bean paste (koshian) 1.5 kg
  • Boiled mugwort 200 g
  • Water 1000 ml (for kneading)

How to cook

  • 1. Crush the mugwort thoroughly with a mixer and mix it well with the makino powder in a bowl.

  • 2. Knead the mixture well while gradually adding water until it reaches a consistency similar to the lobe of an ear. Adjust the amount of water as you go, considering the moisture from the mugwort.

  • 3. Put the kneaded dough in the refrigerator and let it rest overnight.

  • 4. Knead the rested dough well again.

  • 5. Measure 30g of dough and 20g of sweet red bean paste. Wrap the sweet red bean paste with the measured dough.

  • 6. Place the measured dough in a mold lined with cloth and press it with a mold.

  • 7. Lightly oil a frying pan, cover, and bake over low to medium heat. Once partially cooked, add a little water and steam-cook.

  • 8. When the moisture is gone, flip it over and continue baking.

provider : Wakasa Town Liaison Council of Dietary Improvement Promoters

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

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