The eighth installment in this series of 11 famous anko (sweet bean paste) shops from East and West Japan introduces Takemura (竹むら)’s deep-fried manjuu buns from Kanda, Tokyo.
A light evening snack loved by husbands Takemura’s ‘deep-fried manjuu’
In the early Showa period, the area around Takemura was called Kanda Renjakucho (神田連雀町), and was one of Tokyo’s major shopping streets along with Ginza. In 1930, Takemura opened a sweet shop in the area, as there were no shops serving authentic ‘shiruko (汁粉, sweet red bean porridge, with mochi)’.
The main products are still sweet bean paste centered, such as Awa zenzai (粟ぜんざい, foxtail millet porridge) in winter and kouri-jiruko (氷汁粉) in summer. Deep fried manjuu (揚げまんじゅう) was added a couple of years after the shop was founded, and is a Takemura-style version of the popular street food of the time. The special sweet bean paste used is less sweet than the sweet bean paste used for shiruko porridge, and is made harder so that it does not come out of the dough when deep-fried.
The soft, fluffy manjuu buns are wrapped in the aroma of sesame oil and have a cozy sweetness, perfect for filling a small stomach or as a palate cleanser after a meal. They have long been a favourite with male customers.
Hotta Masaaki (堀田正昭), younger brother of the second-generation head of the family, is in charge of cooking the beans to make the paste. He has been a full-time cook for 50 years.
The secret is not to rush it, he says, “and to leave only the best bits of azuki beans in the bean paste”. The rounded sweetness of bean paste, which will melt your heart with just one mouthful, is the result of his expert skills.
Edo’s chic aesthetic style is also present in the packaging
Shop Information
Takemura
Address: 1-19 Kandasudacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3251-2328
Opening hours: 11am – 8pm (L.O. 7.40pm)
Holidays: Sundays, Mondays and public holidays
Opening days and hours are subject to change, so please check the latest information before visiting.
Photography by Ishii Hiroaki Composition by Fujita Yu and Goto Atsumi *This article is a reprint of the magazine Waraku (2019-2020 Dec/Jan).
This article is translated from https://intojapanwaraku.com/travel/218640/
