Have you heard of yakimanju, a soft and fluffy bun coated in rich miso sauce?

Recently, it has become a popular local delicacy among tourists as well as within the prefecture. This time, we will investigate the characteristics and origins of this Gunma soul food, yakimanju, and the best ways to eat it.

Please enjoy it until the end.

What is Gunma's soul food, "yakimanju"?

Gunma's Yakimanju is a local dish made by steaming manju made from a mixture of rice koji and rice and wheat flour, then spreading a generous amount of sweet and spicy miso sauce over it.

The classic version is plain manju (sumanju) with no filling, smeared with miso sauce, but some shops also have yakimanju, which are filled with bean paste. This type of manju is called "yakimanju" in the southern part of Gunma Prefecture, and is also called "misomanju" in the northern area around Numata City.

The miso sauce that is poured over the yakimanju is made by boiling down red miso, sugar, water, starch syrup, brown sugar, and brown sugar; the thick, glossy, sweet miso sauce is so delicious that once you try it, you'll be hooked.

By the way, did you know that Gunma Prefecture has a lot of dishes that use wheat, including yakimanju?
In Gunma, where double cropping of rice and wheat has been practiced since ancient times, a "flour culture" such as udon noodles, yakimochi, and okkirikomi has developed widely.

The reasons for their development include Gunma Prefecture's long hours of sunlight, the cold, dry winds that blow in the winter, and the prefecture's well-drained soil.

During the Edo period, stone mills for grinding wheat became widespread, and wheat dishes gradually began to appear on the tables of ordinary people. The yakimanju that we will introduce this time is one of the foods that symbolizes Gunma Prefecture's flour culture.

The origin and origin of Yakimanju

According to one theory, the origins of yakimanju can be traced back to "sake manju," which was introduced from China.

Sake manju originally contained bean paste inside, but as it was being brought from Kansai to Edo and then to Gunma, sake manju without bean paste was created. It is said that the origin of yakimanju is when sake manju, which tends to harden when cooled, was reheated and eaten with miso.

Towards the end of the Edo period, yakimanju skewered like we know them today were made, and little by little, yakimanju shops began to appear in cities like Isesaki and Numata.

At the time, unsweetened baked manju, which were simply spread with salty miso and baked, were the norm, but later, when ingredients like brown sugar syrup became available, the flavor became more similar to what we have today.

How to make Yakimanju and recommended ways to eat it

The method for making yakimanju is similar to that for making sake manju, in which the dough is fermented using rice koji.

First, the base of the dough, called "sakadane," is made, and then wheat flour and water are added and kneaded.
Sakedane is made by fermenting rice with koji and water, and mixing this gives the dough a fluffy texture.

Once the dough has come together, it is divided into portions of 20 to 30g each, left to ferment, and then steamed.
Once the steamed dough is pierced onto the bamboo skewers, the "plain manju" that you often see in stores is complete.

Recently, plain manju are sometimes made using yeast instead of sake yeast.

And when it comes to baked manju, a rich, sweet and spicy miso sauce is essential. Made by boiling down red miso, sugar, water, and other ingredients, the sauce is spread on the golden brown baked manju before baking.
This allows you to enjoy a crispy outside and soft, fluffy texture inside.

Also, by repeating the process of spreading miso on the manju and baking it two or three times, the miso sauce will soak into the dough and the manju will be baked to perfection. If you cover the manju with a generous amount of miso sauce at the end, you can enjoy the deliciousness of the baked manju even more.

Making yakimanju from scratch takes time, but some stores sell yakimanju as souvenirs, which come in a set with the manju and miso sauce. If you visit a store, be sure to look for it.

The deliciousness and appeal of Yakimanju

The appeal of yakimanju is that you can enjoy a single skewer of deep flavor at an affordable price. The fragrant aroma of miso wafting from the food stall is also one of the best parts. Once you take a bite of yakimanju, you'll want to eat more and more.

Also, each shop has its own unique way of making things, so it's fun to try and find a specialty that each shop specializes in, such as baked manju made with dough fermented with doburoku, or manju carefully coated with miso and slowly baked over charcoal.

Access to Gunma Prefecture

Yakimanju can be eaten in Numata City in the north of Gunma Prefecture, and Maebashi City, Takasaki City, Isesaki City, Ota City, and Midori City in the southeast. Access to Maebashi City, the prefectural capital, takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes by car from Tokyo via the Kan-etsu Expressway. From the Maebashi Interchange on the Kan-etsu Expressway, try driving along National Route 17 towards Maebashi City.

If you take the Shinkansen, it takes about an hour and 20 minutes from Tokyo. Take the Joetsu Shinkansen or Hokuriku Shinkansen, transfer at Takasaki Station, and then take the Ryomo Line, which connects Tochigi Prefecture and Gunma Prefecture, heading towards Maebashi, Isesaki, Kiryu, or Oyama.

If you are traveling by conventional train, you can take the JR Ueno Tokyo Line's Takasaki Line, transfer at Takasaki Station, and then take the Ryomo Line to Maebashi Station. The total journey time will be about two and a half hours.

Location of Gunma Prefecture

summary

Yakimanju, which is eaten throughout Gunma Prefecture, is a local delicacy that can be enjoyed freshly baked in shops, as well as taken out or brought home as a souvenir.

Be sure to try the harmony of the crispy, fragrant, fluffy manju and sweet and salty miso sauce.

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