Dorayaki & Chushingura
Bryan Imai brought us (twice) some outstanding dorayaki (どら焼き) from a shop he discovered in the Shimbashi area. They were so good that I wanted to find out more about them.
Well it turns out that this is a great example of the very Japanese trait of taking a common traditional thing and working hard to make something unique and special.
The more than a century old shop, Shinshodo, sits on a site that was a samurai estate -- actually the site where Lord Asano was forced to commit seppuku (harakiri) which subsequently drove the 47 ronin to avenge him and then commit seppuku themselves. That heroic tale is recorded in the Chushingura story. (I have previously shared our visit to the Sengakuji temple a bit south of Shimbashi where the 47 ronin remains rest.)
Anyway, Shinshodo, which makes and sells yokan, dorayaki, and other sweets, is known for seppuku monaka. Monaka is similar to dorayaki except that the outer layers are mochi (actually the pictures look like gluten {_fu_} wafers). Seppuku monaka are assembled so that the filling is spilling out (as in seppuku 😶). Apparently, they are a popular omiyage for the contrite.
https://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/01/23/suicide-cakes-sweets-to-die-for/
So when in Shimbashi, or after a visit to Sengakuji, a stop at Shinshodo would be a great idea, and especially when feeling guilty about something.
[food, hmm, Tokyo, Japan, JT]
Bryan Imai brought us (twice) some outstanding dorayaki (どら焼き) from a shop he discovered in the Shimbashi area. They were so good that I wanted to find out more about them.
Well it turns out that this is a great example of the very Japanese trait of taking a common traditional thing and working hard to make something unique and special.
The more than a century old shop, Shinshodo, sits on a site that was a samurai estate -- actually the site where Lord Asano was forced to commit seppuku (harakiri) which subsequently drove the 47 ronin to avenge him and then commit seppuku themselves. That heroic tale is recorded in the Chushingura story. (I have previously shared our visit to the Sengakuji temple a bit south of Shimbashi where the 47 ronin remains rest.)
Anyway, Shinshodo, which makes and sells yokan, dorayaki, and other sweets, is known for seppuku monaka. Monaka is similar to dorayaki except that the outer layers are mochi (actually the pictures look like gluten {_fu_} wafers). Seppuku monaka are assembled so that the filling is spilling out (as in seppuku 😶). Apparently, they are a popular omiyage for the contrite.
https://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/01/23/suicide-cakes-sweets-to-die-for/
So when in Shimbashi, or after a visit to Sengakuji, a stop at Shinshodo would be a great idea, and especially when feeling guilty about something.
[food, hmm, Tokyo, Japan, JT]
They were delicious; the fromage/sweet cheese one was my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad I stopped in! It was a nice little shop and everything i tried was tasty but sadly I didn't know to try the monaka!