# Saka Manju ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Saka Manju

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Sagamihara City

## Main Ingredients Used
Flour, sakadane, sweet bean paste

## History, Origin, and Related Events
Sake manju are traditional Japanese pastries made by steaming a sweet bean paste wrapped in a dough made from sakadane, a natural leavening agent produced using rice and koji (malted rice), and flour.As Sagamihara was not suitable for rice cultivation due to large amounts of volcanic ash, the area flourished as a center for wheat and barley production, with various foods made from local flour becoming popular. Among them, sake manju came to be known as a delicacy served at festivals and other gatherings. It is also said that there was a time when being able to make sake manju was a prerequisite for marrying into a family. Since the summer months are the best time to ferment the dough, sake manju were an indispensable ritual food during festivals, especially those held in July and August, when large quantities were made and enjoyed by local families or distributed to relatives.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Although they are rarely handmade at home anymore, sake manju are sold year-round at confectionary stores and agricultural produce stands throughout the city, developing a strong following as a local specialty. Each store takes a unique approach to sake manju, such as using only traditional production methods or sticking to locally grown ingredients.

## How to Eat
Traditionally, the dough is made by fermenting sakadane (manju sake), which is produced by adding water and koji to cooked white rice. Sweet azuki bean paste is then wrapped in the dough, rolled into a ball, and steamed. In some cases, miso paste is used for the filling instead of azuki bean paste.Since the traditional method takes several days, the local dietary improvement promotion organization is introducing an innovative recipe that makes use of baking powder and Japanese sake to make it easier to make these pastries at home. While sake manju made using the traditional method are called "saka manju," those made without sakadake are called "sake manju," a distinction that is made to differentiate between the two.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)Efforts are being undertaken throughout the city to pass down sake manju as a local delicacy, including sake manju workshops and a bus tour by the local chamber of commerce and industry to experience making them firsthand. In addition, in the 2019 "Sagamihara Sweets Festival 3rd General Election of Recommended Souvenir Sweets,” where consumers voted, sake manju from the Japanese confectionary store Shimizuya were selected as one of nine “Best Souvenir Sweets."The local dietary improvement promotion organization is making efforts to popularize sake manju by including information on the traditional “saka manju” as well as how to make “sake manju” in its collection of local recipes.

## Ingredients
- [Sakadane]white rice: 2 -3 bowls
- [Sakadane] water: 600ml
- [Sakadane] Koji: 25g
- [Dough] flour: 1kg
- [Dough] sakadane liquid: 2.5 cups (500ml)
- [Dough] sugar: 4 tbsp
- [Azuki bean paste]azuki beans: 2 cups (400ml)
- [Azuki bean paste]sugar: 350g
- [Azuki bean paste] salt: 1 tsp

## Recipe
1. 1. [Sakadane] Add the sakadane ingredients to a tub (or Tupperware) and mix well before fermenting.
2. 2. When the rice rises to the surface, drain the mixture using a colander, and squeeze. Fermentation takes about two days in summer, or five to six days in winter.
3. 3. [Making manju] Add the sugar and sakadane liquid to the flour, mix until soft and bouncy (or as soft as your earlobe), then let it rest. Rest the dough for about four hours in summer and overnight in winter, and it will increase to twice its size. If sugar is added when kneading the flour, the dough will not become tough.
4. 4. Gently press down on the dough once or twice to release any built-up gas and knead it further.
5. 5. Tear off one piece (about 60g) of dough and shape it until smooth.
6. 6. Roll out the dough (thick in the center and thin around the edges).
7. 7. Place the prepared sweet azuki bean paste (about 40g) in the center of the dough and wrap the dough around it. To prevent the filling from oozing out, pinch the opening shut with your fingertips. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes until it springs back to its original shape when pressed.
8. 8. Place the manju in a steamer and steam for 20 minutes. Make sure that the heat is not too high, or the dough will crack.
9. 9. Remove the manju from the heat and fan until glossy.

## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provided by: Sagamihara City Organization for the Promotion of Dietary Improvement Wakanakai

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