Zunda-mochi (ずんだ餅) is a type of Japanese confectionery popular in northeastern Japan. It is sometimes translated as "green soybean rice cake." It generally consists of a round cake of short-grained

glutinous rice Domestication syndrome refers to two sets of phenotypic traits that are common to either domesticated plants or domesticated animals. Domesticated animals tend to be smaller and less aggressive than their wild counterparts; they may also hav ...

with sweetened mashed soybean paste on top. In some varieties, the green soybean paste entirely covers the white rice cake. In all cases, immature soybeans known as

edamame is an East Asian dish prepared with immature soybeans in their pods, which are boiled or steamed, and may be served with salt or other condiments. The dish has become popular across the world because it is rich in vitamins, dietary fiber, and i ...

are used. A closely related product is "kurumi-mochi", which uses walnuts instead of soybeans.

Etymology

There are various theories about how the term ''zunda-mochi'' arose. According to one theory, the word ''zunda'' traces its roots to ''zuda'' (), which refers to "bean-mashing." Another theory suggests that ''zuda'' is derived from the ''jindachi'' sword of the famous warlord

Date Masamune was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama period through the early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful feudal lords in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he w ...

, who reputedly mashed beans with his sword during the

Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...

. A third theory holds that a farmer named Jinta came up with the idea for this dish. Reputedly, the warlord Date Masamune liked this farmer's idea and named the product "jinta mochi." Terms of zunda-mochi have evolved into several variants in diverse parts of northern Japan. Moreover, in some dialects the word "mochi" itself is pronounced "mozu".

History

Zunda-mochi has a long history dating from at least Japan's

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

.It is mentioned briefly in the diary of Prince Gosuko-in (1372-1456). Reputedly zunda-mochi was a favorite dessert of

. It is perhaps for this reason that zunda-mochi is often regarded as a speciality of

Sendai is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the List of cities in Japan, twelfth most populated city in Japan. ...

. At one time zunda-mochi was made by rice farmers soon after their summer

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source o ...

and

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

harvest. It was likely used as an offering during the traditional

obon or just is a fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ance ...

and

higan is a Buddhist holiday exclusively celebrated by Japanese sects for seven days; three days before and after both the Spring equinox ( shunbun) and Autumnal equinox ( shūbun). It is observed by nearly every Buddhist school in Japan. The tradi ...

festivals. Eventually, it became a traditional sweet for various occasions such as weddings and funerals in some sections of northern Japan. Today zunda-mochi is manufactured and marketed in many forms. For example, zunda-mochi gift sets are sold by

Japan Post was a Japanese statutory corporation that existed from 2003 to 2007, offering postal and package delivery services, Retail banking, banking services, and life insurance. It is the nation's largest employer, with over 400,000 employees, and ru ...

, the nation's largest mail carrier. Moreover, zunda-daifuku, which could be described as the inverse of zunda-mochi with the sticky rice on the outside and sweet bean-paste at the center, is popular in Miyagi prefecture. A related product is zunda cream dorayaki, which might be described as two pancakes with a creamy sweet soybean filling. Zunda mochi ice cream is available in some parts of Sendai city and in 2019

Häagen-Dazs Häagen-Dazs ( , ) is an American ice cream brand, established by Reuben and Rose Mattus in the Bronx, New York, in 1960, owned by Froneri, a joint venture between Nestlé and PAI Partners. Starting with only three flavors: vanilla, chocolat ...

even released a limited edition of that product. Since 2009 Nestlé Japan has marketed "Zunda-mochi" flavor Kit-Kat bars in some parts of northern Japan. It is also possible to buy zunda-mochi

shaved ice Shaved ice is a large family of ice-based desserts made of fine shavings of ice and sweet condiments or syrups. Usually, the syrup is added after the ice has been frozen and shaved—typically at the point of sale; however, flavoring can also be ...

and

milkshake A milkshake (sometimes simply called a shake) is a sweet beverage made by blending milk, ice cream, and flavorings or sweeteners such as butterscotch, caramel sauce, chocolate syrup, or fruit syrup into a thick, sweet, cold mixture. It may ...

s not only in parts of Japan, but also Hawaii. Zunda-mochi related foods continue to evolve, often fusing elements of Western and Japanese cuisine.

References

{{Japanese food and drink, state=autocollapse Japanese cuisine Glutinous rice dishes Wagashi

Etymology

History

See also

References