Where to eat Momiji manju in Hiroshima
A maple-leaf-shaped castella sponge filled with sweet red bean paste, baked in iron moulds on Miyajima and sold hot from the shop fronts along Omotesando.
The story of Momiji manju
Momiji manju was created on Miyajima in the early twentieth century, taking its shape from the maple leaves of Momijidani valley behind Itsukushima shrine. Makers now fill it with matcha, custard, cheese and Setouchi lemon as well as the original bean paste. Momijido, trading on Miyajima since 1912, put a deep-fried version on a stick on sale in 2002, and it has since become the standard walking snack on the island's approach street, where the shops bake to order and hand the manju over hot.
How to make Momiji manju
Serves: Makes 12
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 70g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 100g plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp milk
- 250g smooth red bean paste
- Butter for the moulds
Method
- Whisk the eggs, sugar and honey until pale and thick enough to leave a ribbon.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold gently, then loosen with the milk.
- Rest the batter for 20 minutes so the flour hydrates and the bubbles settle.
- Roll the bean paste into 12 balls of about 20g each.
- Butter a maple-leaf or madeleine mould and heat it. Half fill each cavity with batter.
- Press a ball of bean paste into the centre, cover with more batter and close or bake at 180C for 12 minutes.
- Turn out while warm; the sponge firms as it cools.
Editor tip. A madeleine tin is the nearest common substitute for the maple mould, and the bake time is close enough to unchanged.
The editor picks for Momiji manju in Hiroshima are still in research. Meanwhile, see the Hiroshima signature-dishes index or the Hiroshima food guide.