Snacks and desserts
Welcome back for Part 2 of Kagoshima Cuisine. Having whetted your appetite for various Kagoshima specialty foods, we shall now see what snacks or desserts we can enjoy.
Satsuma age
Though technically not a dessert food, Satsuma-age is a very common snack food and is a specialty of Kagoshima prefecture. Tourists visiting Kagoshima are always sure to buy an ample supply for friends and family back home. The name “Satsuma-age” should not be translated literally. “Satsuma” was the name of Kagoshima prefecture before the current naming system went into effect during the Meiji Restoration. “Age” (pronounced ageh) refers to almost anything deep-fried. So, rather than saying “Satsuma-age” is “deep-fried Satsuma”, it should probably be translated as “Kagoshima’s deep-fried treats”. To make Satsuma-age, various kinds of fish are mashed and sweetened and mixed with flour. Some recipes also include sweet potato chunks. Then palm-sized cakes are patted into shape and are deep-fried until golden brown. The resulting cake is soft and somewhat chewy. It is best eaten fresh from the fryer, but most people eat it at home as a snack. It may also be eaten cold and sliced over rice, or included in various recipes with vegetables.
Akumaki
Akumaki is a treat with a long history and loyal following. Basically it is a dark, chewy, sweet rice cake served in a bamboo leaf. Tradition has it that soldiers on campaign carried with them to battle because of its long shelf life. It was a quick, filling treat full of minerals and carbs. It is said that Saigo Takamori and his men sustained themselves on Akumaki during the ill-fated Satsuma Rebellion.
The name “Akumaki” is a bit complicated. The name essentially has to do with how Akumaki is prepared. First, a sticky rice cake is prepared with special rice grown specifically for this purpose. The rice cake is then boiled for 34 hours in water which is thickened with oak wood ash. It is believed that the ashy soup infuses the cakes with vitamins and minerals. After boiling, the cakes are wrapped tightly in bamboo leaves and left to sit.
So, let’s take another look at the name. It actually has two parts. The “Aku” refers to the ashen soup the cakes are boiled in. The “Maki” refers to anything served rolled in something. Perhaps we can then say that “Akumaki” means “ashen rice cake served in bamboo leaf wrap”. Or perhaps better still, we should just adopt the word “Akumaki” into English; it so much easier to order that way.
Due to its history on the battlefield and its association with noble people over the centuries, Akumaki has become a fixture during “Tango no Sekku” or “Boy’s Day” on May 5th. Boy’s Day is now called “Children’s Day”, but it is still a holiday for young boys. On this day and throughout May, Akumaki is sliced into thick, chewy slices and powdered with “kinako” (sweetened soy bean powder) and eaten as a special treat for the whole family.
Karukan
One of my son’s favorite Kagoshima treats is Karukan. As with Satsuma-age, Karukan is also an essential item in every traveler’s souvenir bag. True to its Kagoshima nature, Karukan is made using sweet potatoes. A batter is made from steamed sweet potatoes and flour. The batter is baked into small, round cakes which are sometimes filled with mashed “adzuki” (red bean). The cakes are usually white, but there are also purple Karukan. The purple color is from food coloring, but the color is supposed to be reminiscent of purple sweet potatoes. The resulting cakes are light and fluffy. These qualities are in fact where the cakes get their name. “Karu” is a slight abbreviation of the word “karui”, which means “light”. “Kan” means some type of Japanese confection. However, I would simply call them “Kagoshima tea cakes”, as they are almost always eaten with a cup of tea.
Shirokuma
No summer vacation is complete unless you have had your fill of Shirokuma. And no place in Japan has better Shirokuma than Kagoshima prefecture. “Shirokuma” or “Polar Bear” is Kagoshima’s own original icy treat. There are many different styles, but basically Shirokuma is crushed or shaved ice with condensed milk and various whole fruit chunks. The classic fruit toppings are watermelon, musk melon, cantaloupe, mandarin orange, and cherry. This style also includes sweet red beans. But there are so many variations and new syrup flavors that you may almost design your own. People queue in long lines in the hot summer sun just to treat their families to a pack of these icy treats. There are also cafes and shops specializing in Shirokuma. They are easy to find because there is often an enormous plastic Shirokuma on display, in front of the shop.
Maybe you’d like to know why they’re called “Polar Bears”. There are, in fact, two rival stories which speak of the origins of the Shirokuma. One has to do with a textiles shop owner (sometime between 1932 and 1934) who decided to open a second business in his shop during the summer season. He purchased an ice shaver (or crusher), and lacking any other syrupy topping he poured condensed milk over the crushed ice. On the can of condensed milk was a picture of a polar bear. Over time, red beans and fruit were added and different syrups were experimented with, and a legend was born. Unless, of course, you subscribe to the other story of the Shirokuma’s birth.
At approximately the same time as the textiles shop owner was supposed to be churning out icy treats, another shop owner (this time a coffee/tea shop) was formulating his new summer sensation. This shop owner’s story is the same as the former except that this second shop owner began adding fruit right away and there was no polar bear on the can of condensed milk. He claimed to have thought of the name when he looked down at the top of a completed Shirokuma. The red beans became eyes, the cherry a nose, and the general look reminded him of a polar bear’s face.
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about Kagoshima prefecture’s original cuisine and treats. I do believe you’ve got enough here to give you many full memories and a suitcase heavy with goodies for your friends and family.
I couldn’t include information about all of the cakes, tarts, and other snacks and sweets made from sweet potatoes. There are just too many to go over. Besides, you’ll have no trouble finding them.
But one thing you may have trouble finding is a taste of home. Let’s say that you’ve filled up on local food and you have a hankering for something western. Kagoshima has plenty of restaurants, cafes, delis, and fast food places to scratch that itch. Larger cities like Osaka and Tokyo have more than you could ever need. However, in my opinion, nearly all of these places don’t quite find that western flavor. I’m not saying the food isn’t good. Japanese versions of foreign food are excellent, especially the breads, pastas, steaks, soups, and sweets. But still, it’s hard to avoid tasting a certain Japanese-ness in the flavor of the food, which is why I definitely want to recommend one very special place to everyone.
There is a small chain of burger joints only in Kagoshima prefecture, called Johnny’s Burger. They have a great selection of burgers (16 on the menu, but they’ll do custom jobs) and the flavor is just what a homesick traveler could want. I’m not sure if it’s the mustard, pickles, and melted cheese they use, or if it’s something in the spice (they won’t tell). They make the best western burger I’ve had anywhere in Japan! They also make pasta, pizza, roast chicken, hot dogs, and tortilla wraps. And, of course, there are plenty of sides to go with your meal. Wash it all down with juice, soda, or even a beer.
Now, it’s a rather small chain, so you may have to do a little searching if you’re outside Kagoshima city central. The original Johnny’s Burger is just a ten or fifteen minute walk northwest from Kagoshima Chuo Station. It’s at the corner of Josei Street and Nishida-hon Street on the second floor of the Nishida-ten building, just across from the Yamakataya department store. There is a man-sized plastic mascot at the bottom of the stairs. People from the U.S. will immediately recognize the mascot as our own “Bob” from the now defunct U.S. chain Bob’s Big Boy. To place a phone order or call for information, their number is 099-250-5556. Drop in and try it out. You be glad you did.
All this talk of food has me drooling. I think we’re having beef bowl tonight. I better go before mine gets cold.
Until next time…
