The Yamaha company, “Kurumi-yubeshi”

Yubeshi is a traditional Japanese sweet.

Generally, all ingredients such as glutinous rice powder, miso, and soy sauce, sugar and tree nut are mixed up well and it is combined with Yuzu. And then it is steamed for about 50 minutes and then wrapped with kitchen paper and tied up with kite string. It is then hung to dry naturally.

In other places, the glutinous rice powder with Yuzu juice or grated Yuzu is mixed with miso, soy sauce, sugar, hot water, which is then mixed up really well. It is then steamed for over 10 minutes and molded into a shape that resembles the Japanese sweet Youkan.

It was first made at the end of the 11 century, called the Genpei period. The beginning of the 12 century was when it was able to be preserved and was made into a portable food that then helped it spread.

The tradition said that it was served for kids at famers’ houses.

This snack was popular during the harvest time of rice, when there were grains of rice available to be broken up so it could be made into rice powder. They then added soy sauce or sugar and made it into a circle shape, before it was steamed.

Before steam, people pushed on the top of it with two fingers on Yubeshi’s dough for the decorative name of “Yubeshi” which came from the action of “Yubideoshita”, which in English means “Pushed fingers”.

The shape, color and taste are different, and there are different types of yubeshi depending on the area. People say however, that the origin of Yubeshi is in the Tohoku area, in northern Japan.

In the Tounou area of Gifu prefecture, normally they have walnuts or a Yuzu taste of Yubeshi for snacks at home or in places that are associated with Hinamtsuri (The Doll festival)

Kurumi-yubeshi, made by the Yamanaka Company, has a chewy texture and is very filling.

It has a slightly sweet taste of Mochi (steamed rice) and walnuts so it is a good snack for a break during tea time.