• 02 Japanese Culture

    Daifuku-mochi 大福餅

    Daifuku is a kind of Japanese confectionery made by wrapping red bean paste in a layer of mochi ( rice cake), also called daifuku mochi. The origin of Daifuku is believed to be quail mochi, which was born in the early Edo period (1603-1867). Today, there are many variations of Daifuku, such as Mame Daifuku with red pea or soybeans mixed into the mochi, Yomogi Mochi with a skin made of mochi with mugwort, Shio Daifuku with a salty skin and red bean paste, and Ichigo Daifuku with strawberries in the red bean paste. 大福は小豆でできた餡を餅で包んだ和菓子の一種のことで、大福餅とも呼ばれる。江戸時代初期に生まれたうずら餅が起源とされ、現在では、餅に赤豌豆や大豆を混ぜ込んだ豆大福、ヨモギを入れてついた餅を皮にしたよもぎ餅、皮や餡が塩味の塩大福、小豆餡の中にイチゴを入れたいちご大福など、さまざまなバリエーションがあり、人気の和菓子となっている。