Tanuki Manju Traditional Strawberry-Filled Bite-Sized Cake (Pack of 3)

These strawberry-filled Tanuki Manju are a modern take on the soft, melt-in-your-mouth traditional Japanese manju cake.

Saijo City, one of the smaller cities in rural Ehime prefecture, is known for two things: the annual Saijo festival, and Tanuki Manju - a local treat that has been loved by residents and those who visit for over 90 years. The traditional Tanuki Manju features soft, melt-in-your-mouth momoyama dough filled with carefully selected azuki beans that have been made into a sweet red bean paste. Momoyama dough typically consists of sweet white bean paste mixed with egg yolks, milk, and cream - but Tanuki Manju's special process to make their extra soft momoyama dough remains a closely-guarded secret.

Almost all of the manufacturing processess to produce Tanuki Manju are done by hand by local experts who have been doing it for decades. They carefully monitor the temperature and humidity, ensuring that the end result meets the high standards they've held for nearly a century. The secret to Tanuki Manju's irresistible sweetness and perfect moistness lies in the painstaking work that goes into making each one by hand.

This particular version is the strawberry-filled Tanuki Manju, which is slightly different from their regular product. Instead of azuki red beans, the soft momoyama dough is filled with a strawberry paste, made from strawberries grown locally in Saijo City. This is a great alternative for those who don't like azuki red bean paste.