Usugori is a delicate dry confection, thin as a sheet of ice, created in 1752 (Horeki 2), in the mid-Edo period, by the long-established confectioner Usugori Honpo Goromaruya in Oyabe City, Toyama Prefecture. It is said to express the beauty of the thin ice that forms on water surfaces and rice paddies in early spring, as the deep snows of Hokuriku begin to melt. It is finished by carefully layering fine Awa wasanbon sugar onto an extremely thin cracker-like base made from Toyama's specialty Shintaisho glutinous rice. Named 'usugori' ('thin ice') for the way it melts fleetingly away in the mouth like ice dissolving, it has long been prized as a prestigious confection, said to have been presented to the shogunate and the Imperial court through the Maeda family, lords of the Kaga domain. Since the Meiji era it has been supplied to the Imperial Household Ministry, and it remains favored in the world of tea ceremony today, carried on for more than 270 years as a traditional confection that conveys the beauty of Toyama's four seasons.
Origin
Usugori is a dry confection said to have been created in 1752 (Horeki 2), in the mid-Edo period, by the fifth-generation head of the Goromaruya confectionery in Oyabe City, Toyama Prefecture. Its name comes from a design meant to express the beauty of the thin ice that forms on water surfaces and rice paddies in early spring, as the deep snows of Hokuriku begin to melt.
History
It is said that after being created, it was presented to the shogunate and the Imperial court through the Maeda family, lords of the Kaga domain, and from the Meiji era onward it was also supplied to the Imperial Household Ministry, earning its reputation as a prestigious confection. It remains highly valued in the world of tea ceremony today and has also been selected for the Japan Tourism Agency's 'Ultimate Souvenirs of Japan' and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's 'Wonder 500' program.
Features
It is finished by artisans, who hand-apply fine Awa wasanbon sugar layer by layer, piece by piece, onto an extremely thin cracker-like base made from Toyama's specialty Shintaisho glutinous rice. Its distinctive feature is a delicate texture that dissolves fleetingly away in the mouth like melting ice, and it can also be enjoyed for its designs and colors, which change with the seasons.
Main Ingredients
How It Differs from Home Cooking
It is rarely made at home. From crafting the extremely thin base to layering on the wasanbon sugar, every step requires the skill of an experienced artisan, so this dry confection has always been made only at specialty shops.
Famous Shops
薄氷本舗 五郎丸屋
富山県小矢部市中央町5-5
The long-established confectionery where usugori originated, with a history spanning over 270 years. A box of usugori (10 pieces) can be purchased for around 1,296 yen and up.
View details →| T5 (Tigo) | A small boxed usugori product made by Usugori Honpo Goromaruya. A popular Toyama souvenir that has been selected for the Japan Tourism Agency's 'Ultimate Souvenirs of Japan' and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's 'Wonder 500' program, available in a 5-piece box for around 972 yen and up.Where to buy →PR |
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