Image: Wikimedia Commons
Yaki Manju is a soul food representative of Gunma Prefecture: a dough of wheat flour fermented with rice koji is steamed into fist-sized round buns, skewered, generously coated with a sweet-savory miso glaze, and grilled over charcoal until fragrant. The distinctive style of skewering steamed buns with no bean-paste filling and grilling them is unusual even by national standards, and specialty shops and long-established stores are found throughout the prefecture, from Maebashi and Takasaki to Isesaki and Numata. The most widely accepted theory traces its origin to the late Edo period, when Ruizō Harashima of Maebashi is said to have devised a 'miso-pickled bun,' whose novel use of doburoku (unrefined sake) as a fermenting agent and the idea of skewering the buns caused a stir at the time. Long served at festival stalls and local fairs, it remains a fixture of community events such as cherry-blossom viewing and summer festivals today.
Origin
The origin of yaki manju is said to trace back to the late Edo period, when Ruizō Harashima of Maebashi devised what is considered the earliest version, a 'miso-pickled bun.' At the time, fermenting the buns with doburoku (unrefined sake) and skewering them on bamboo skewers were unusual ideas that were reportedly met with surprise. Long-established shops that developed independently are also found in Isesaki and Numata as well as Maebashi, and there are several theories about exactly where the dish originated.
History
In Gunma, where wheat farming has long flourished, a culture of flour-based foods took root, and manju buns were a familiar food as well. The miso glaze was originally not as sweet as it is today, but once black sugar syrup began to be imported during the Meiji era, the seasoning shifted toward the sweet-savory flavor familiar today, and the dish spread throughout the prefecture as a specialty served at festival stalls and local fairs. Specialty shops are still found today in Maebashi, Takasaki, Isesaki, Numata, Kiryu, Ota, and other areas across the prefecture.
Features
The defining feature is that buns made from dough fermented with rice koji and steamed, with no bean-paste filling, are skewered several to a stick, generously coated with a sweet-savory miso glaze, and grilled over charcoal until fragrant. It is customary to slide the buns off the skewer and eat them with chopsticks, enjoying the freshly grilled aroma along with the sweet-savory glaze and the chewy texture of the dough. In some areas, a sweeter version filled with bean paste can also be found.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
Long loved as a common people's treat served at festival stalls and local fairs, yaki manju has also been tied to community events such as Maebashi's New Year's first market (Hatsuichi). It remains an essential soul food for the people of Gunma at cherry-blossom viewing and summer festivals, enjoyed by people of all ages.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
Yaki manju is rarely made at home; at specialty shops, the traditional method of fermenting the dough with rice koji and grilling it with a secret miso glaze whose recipe is handed down within each shop are what give the dish its distinctive flavor.
Famous Shops
原嶋屋総本家
群馬県前橋市平和町2-5-20
A long-established shop said to have been founded in 1857 (Ansei 4) and counted among the birthplaces of yaki manju. Its buns are generously coated with a secret sauce made from red miso and starch syrup, among other ingredients, and grilled until fragrant; a skewer costs around 240 yen.
東見屋まんじゅう店
群馬県沼田市下之町875-7
A long-established shop founded in 1825 (Bunsei 8) that carries on the tradition of Numata's famous miso manju. Each day's dough, fermented with rice koji, is prepared fresh and grilled over charcoal to order; its signature item, a skewer of four buns, costs around 220 yen.
View details →FAQ
Q. Does yaki manju not contain any bean paste?
A. That's right — the typical yaki manju is a steamed bun with no bean-paste filling, skewered and grilled with a sweet-savory miso glaze. Depending on the region or shop, however, a sweeter version filled with bean paste is sometimes served.