# Makigaki ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Makigaki

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Uki Area, Yamato City, Kamimashiki County

## Main Ingredients Used
Japanese persimmon

## History, Origin, and Related Events
A traditional food handed down in Yamato-cho, Kamimashiki County, in the Uki area, famous for its dried persimmons. With the meaning of "attracting good fortune," persimmons are in demand as gifts at the end of the year and as good luck charms for New Year's. The scene of "Makigaki" being made is newsworthy at this time of the year.Dried persimmons are made from a specialty astringent persimmon called "nayaboshi," which is rubbed by hand three times while being dried to get the right shape, and are ready when the surface is covered with white powder (fructose). To make "Makigaki (rolled persimmons)", cut the shaft and tip of a dried persimmon, slit it open lengthwise, carefully remove the seeds, stack 10 or more (depending on the size of the persimmon) in a rugby ball shape, wrap them in a bamboo skin, wrap them in straw, and then roll them up with a rope, using a lot of force to make it go round and round. A good indicator of a well-done product is that when cut, the brown color of the dried persimmon and the layer of white flour show up well and look like a rose flower. The unique flavor and natural sweetness of the dried persimmon is like a high-class Japanese confectionary. Production begins around July with removing the bark of the main bamboo and weaving rice straw while waiting for the dried persimmons to be ready and finished by the end of the year. While there are no differences among regions or producers in the way they wrap the bamboo skin, there are differences in the way they roll it up with a rope (straw or rush grass). In the past, persimmons were often seen hanging under the eaves of houses, but the number of producers of "Makigaki (rolled persimmons)" has been decreasing over the years.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Dried persimmons are made from persimmons harvested in the fall, and production begins in late fall. Although it is a preserved food, it is at its peak when it is in greatest demand as a gift at the end of the year and as a good luck charm for New Year's osechi (New Year's dishes).

## How to Eat
It is eaten as a snack, for example, when served with tea, by slicing it into thin round slices so that the pattern of the rolls looks beautiful. It is also eaten with cream cheese and ham as an accompaniment to alcoholic drinks.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)High schools in Yamato-cho, Kamimashiki County, hold hands-on "Makigaki (rolled persimmons)" making workshops under the guidance of the "Kamimashiki Agricultural Cooperative's Makigaki Group".

## Ingredients
- "Momigaki" (The finest dried persimmons): About 20
- Cellophane paper: As needed
- Inewara (rice straw): As needed
- Straw rope: As needed

## Recipe
1. 1. Cut the tip and shaft of the dried persimmon with a knife, make one cut on the side, and open the persimmon to remove the seeds inside.
2. 2. Place 5 to 6 persimmons on the bamboo slats board so that the halves overlap, roll them tightly like rolling sushi using the slats board, and then take a handful of the persimmons and tightly roll them.
3. 3. Place the next layer of persimmons on top of the overlapping persimmon, repeating one after the other until a certain size is reached,When the persimmons reach a certain size, they are rolled up with slats to make sure there are no gaps in the persimmons.
4. 4. Wrap the persimmon in cellophane paper, tie both ends together, wrap the persimmon in woven rice straw, and roll it up while tying the outside with rice straw. The whole piece is tight, and when sliced into rounds, the white powder pattern of the persimmon should be clear like a rose flower in a nicely done state.

## Provider Information
provider : “Kumamoto Prefecture Hometown Recipes, Volume 1”

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