Aburimochi
What is Aburi-mochi?
Aburimochi
Aburi mochi (炙り餅・あぶり餅・あぶりもち) is,
Mochi (rice cake) that has been roasted over a fire. It is made by placing it on a skewer, such as a bamboo skewer, and roasting it over a charcoal or gas fire.
The most famous are the ‘aburi mochi’ made at Ichiwa and Kazariya near Imamiya Shrine in Kyoto, which are covered with Kinako (soybean flour), torn into bite-size pieces, roasted and charred with a fan, then coated with a sweet sauce based on white miso paste.
Both shops are located opposite each other on the old approach to Imamiya Shrine, and Ichi-wa (Ichimonjiya Wasuke) has been in business for more than 1,000 years (it was founded in 1,000 AD during the Heian period, known as the oldest Wagashi shop in Japan). Kazariya, on the other hand, was founded almost 400 years ago in 1637 (Kan’ei 14).
Outside of Kyoto, the ‘Aburi Mochi’ at Shinmei-gu Shrine (2-1-8 Nomachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa) in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, is also famous for its ‘Aburi Mochi’. The spring and autumn festivals, also known as the ‘Aburimochi ritual’, are dedicated to the gods and known as ‘prayers to ward off bad luck’.
