{"id":4716,"date":"2020-05-18T18:00:40","date_gmt":"2020-05-19T01:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zojirushi.com\/blog\/?p=4716"},"modified":"2024-08-29T13:28:15","modified_gmt":"2024-08-29T20:28:15","slug":"4716","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zojirushi.com\/blog\/4716\/","title":{"rendered":" B-kyu Gurume: Akumaki from Kagoshima! <\/i>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi there, Zo fans!\u00a0 We hope that you\u2019ve all been well and staying safe and healthy!\u00a0 We\u2019re back with another B-kyu Gurume post.<\/p>\n

We think that after all of the savory goodness we\u2019ve been enjoying, it\u2019s time for a bit of sweetness!<\/p>\n

We\u2019re excited to introduce akumaki<\/em> this month, a unique dish from Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Akumaki<\/em> is truly unique! It\u2019s made of soaked or steamed mochigome – <\/em>the glutinous rice used to make mochi \u2013 <\/em>wrapped in bamboo leaves that are tied into packets with palm leaf strings.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The packets are boiled in lye, which is a mixture of water and charcoal ash. After a few hours, the rice inside the packets is cooked to a smooth, brown, chewy consistency, the perfect base for eating.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The akumaki<\/em> is drizzled with sweet syrup, regular or brown sugar, or even kinako<\/em>, a roasted soybean flour that has a pleasantly sweet taste and powdery texture. It usually takes two days to make akumaki<\/em>, with the first day focused on preparing the ingredients and leaves, and the second day actually cooking the packets. The end result is worth it!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Amazing, right?<\/p>\n

Many Asian cultures have dishes boiled or steamed in leaves, such as Indian panki<\/em> or Thai-style baked fish, and this Japanese dish is part of that tradition albeit with a unique twist.\u00a0 Unlike the mentioned Indian and Thai dishes, Akumaki<\/em>, is more sweet as opposed to savory.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, the two leaves used to make this dish are bamboo, for cooking, and palm for tying.\u00a0 Today, akumaki<\/em> is still made with palm leaves, but modern conveniences like cooking string or twine are easier to use for tying the packets.<\/p>\n

Even more interesting than the ingredients is the legend surrounding the origins of akumaki<\/em>. Legend says that akumaki<\/em> was given to boys who were training to be samurai soldiers during the 16th<\/sup> century. The boys were treated to these sweets which were easy to make, transport and preserve. Lovely how something sweet was given to warriors!<\/p>\n

Today, akumaki<\/em> isn\u2019t usually made at home but it\u2019s still part of a culture treating children to sweetly delicious goodies. Most often, it is served as part of the Children\u2019s Day tradition, which used to be celebrated as Boys Day, in May. As a regional delicacy, it\u2019s definitely part of our favorite B-kyu gurume<\/em> lineup!<\/p>\n

Have you had akumaki<\/em> before? If so, share your story with us and be sure to tag us using our hashtag #zojirushiamerica on Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi there, Zo fans!\u00a0 We hope that you\u2019ve all been well and staying safe and healthy!\u00a0 We\u2019re back with another B-kyu Gurume post. We think that after all of the savory goodness we\u2019ve been enjoying, it\u2019s time for a bit of sweetness! We\u2019re excited to introduce akumaki this month, a unique dish from Kagoshima Prefecture […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4717,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[674],"tags":[20,689,16,670,671,673,669,412,413,403],"class_list":["post-4716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-b-kyu-gurume","tag-foodie","tag-isakayafood","tag-japan","tag-japanesegourmetfood","tag-japanesehomecooking","tag-japanesesoulfood","tag-japanesestreetfood","tag-traditionalfood","tag-traditionaljapanesefood","tag-uniquefoods"],"yoast_head":"\nB-kyu Gurume: Akumaki from Kagoshima! - Zojirushi Food & Culture Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zojirushi.com\/blog\/4716\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"B-kyu Gurume: Akumaki from Kagoshima!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Hi there, Zo fans!\u00a0 We hope that you\u2019ve all been well and staying safe and healthy!\u00a0 We\u2019re back with another B-kyu Gurume post. 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