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|
 Sakuramochi (Kanto-style) | |
| Place of origin | Japan |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Sweet pink-coloredrice cake,red bean paste, pickled cherry blossom leaf |
| Other information | Traditionally consumed onHinamatsuri and atHanami |
Sakuramochi (桜餅) is aJapanese confection (wagashi) consisting of sweet, pink-colored rice cake (mochi) withred bean paste (anko) filling, wrapped in a pickledcherry blossom (sakura) leaf, which may or may not be eaten depending on individual preference.
Traditionally, the sweet is eaten during thespring season,[1][2] especially at the annualHinamatsuri celebration on March 3 and flower viewing (hanami) parties.[3][4][5]
The invention of sakuramochi is traditionally attributed to theMukōjima neighborhood ofEdo (today Tokyo) in the second year of theKyōhō era (1717 AD),[6][7] when Shinroku Yamamoto,[8] who had worked as a gatekeeper atChōmei-ji Temple[2] since 1691, established a teahouse named Yamamoto-ya in front of the temple.
Originally meant for those visiting their family graves in the Chōmei-ji cemetery, the sweet was wrapped in cherry blossom leaves Yamamoto collected while cleaning up the temple grounds.[2] The sweet grew popular among the crowds ofhanami-goers, many of whom were attracted by the cherry blossom trees planted along theSumida River by the order of theshōgunTokugawa Yoshimune.
Yamamoto-ya remains in business to this day and is often simply referred to as Chōmeiji. Available all year, its sakuramochi is made from wheat flour,adzuki fromHokkaido, andOshima cherry leaves fromMatsuzaki, Shizuoka, using a recipe largely unchanged since the Edo period.
There are two major types of sakuramochi: Chōmeiji and Dōmyōji.[4][8] Though their origins are regional, both types are often available atwagashi shops and supermarkets.
