Kamabuku
かまぶく
かまぶく
"Unique delicacies such as kamabuku, at risk of being lost to time, convey the importance of working to protect tradition in regional Japan."
- Charlie Wrzoskiewicz
(Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, n.d.)
(Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, n.d.)
Kamabuku was created in Akita as an alternative to the rolled delicacy kamaboko, to be served or gifted around holidays and celebrations such as New Years Day. Kamaboko's origin can be traced back to the Heian period, with it traditionally being served like Kamabuku on special occasions. The first documentation of kamaboko was a celebratory dinner for a Minister in the 8th century, and became more popular over time as kamaboko businesses were established and grew. Similar rolling artistry is used in Kamabuku, however fish paste is substituted for potatoes as fish was more difficult to access in inland Akita historically, due to snowy winters and mountainous terrain. Potatoes were seen as a good substitute to make these traditional sweets as they were more affordable and easy to come by.
Kamabuku is a mochi cake with simple base ingredients of potato, rice flour, and sugar. It is chewy in texture and usually presented in a rounded oval shape after being cut from a rolled log. There are generally two or more colours and flavours of dough that are rolled to create unique designs, and this allows for a multitude of flavour combination possibilities, including adding walnuts, pumpkin, sweet potato, sesame seeds, or azuki paste. Kamabuku has the satisfying stretch and chewiness of mochi, and the sweetness you would look for in a bite sized treat.
(Bassyouni, 2023)
Ingredients
White Dough
Potato (1.5kg)
Glutinous rice flour (800g)
Salt (2 tsp)
White sugar (1kg)
Short grain rice flour (600g)
Azuki Dough
Potato (250g)
Sweet bean paste (500g)
White sugar (1kg)
Glutinous rice flour (500g)
Salt (A pinch)
(Akita Hanamaru Green Tourism Promotion Council, 2021)
Method
Boil, peel, and mash the potatoes for both doughs.
Make the white dough by first mixing potatoes with white sugar and salt. Then add glutinous rice flour and short grain rice flour. Mix by hand.
Make the azuki dough by first mixing potatoes, white sugar and salt. Then add sweet bean paste. Finally, add glutinous rice flour and mix by hand.
Roll the white dough and the azuki dough into thin, rectangle shapes. Then layer the rolled out azuki dough on top of the white dough.
Roll the overlapping doughs into a spiral pattern and steam for 1.5 hrs. Cool and then cut into pieces.
(Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, n.d.)
Kamabuku is extremely difficult to find, even in the Akita region it is home to. Firstly, as a sweet made on special events and occasions, it is not eaten consistently and therefore not stocked consistently (or at all) in grocery and sweets stores. Additionally, as with many traditional Japanese sweets and dishes, kamabuku is being made less due to the time and artistry involved in preparing it. In modern Japanese society, convenience stores provide ease for customers to find sugary treats and the shortages of ingredients like fish paste that led to kamabuku's creation are no longer issues. As a result, kamabuku is a disappearing traditional sweet, and is only readily accessible if one puts in the time and effort to make it themselves.
In an attempt to ensure that the skill of rolling and baking kamabuku is lost, there have been programs run in Odate City known as Green Tourism Salons, one of which focused on teaching the art of kamabuku and the traditional baking techniques involved. Two instructors, Ishigaki Kazuko and Sasaki Mikio, the manager and a staff member of 'The Cheerful Mother Store' respectively, shared their knowledge of kamabuku and also recollections on their childhoods in the rice farming prefecture of Akita.
(Akita Hanamaru Green Tourism Promotion Council, 2021)
In researching Kamabuku, I was astounded as to how little information there was on this traditional sweet that is so important to Akita's history. I was touched reading the recollections Kazuko san and Mikio san had on their childhood and the importance of rice in their everyday lives and memories with their family. Kamabuku was a way Akita people could enjoy rice flour based mochi on important special occasions even without reliable access to fish products due to location. Maintaining this traditional sweet is important not just due to its value as part of Akita's cuisine, but also due to the power food and the preparation of food can have in providing opportunities for stories, experiences, and cultural values to be shared between local people, such as how baking Kamabuku reminded Kazuko san and Mikio san of fond memories. Only through efforts at conservation such as Green Tourism Salons can opportunities for shared cultural learning and knowledge sharing be facilitated.
This video provides a both a recipe and ingredient measurements for kamabuku, as well as a visual tutorial on how to make the kamabuku, which can assist any beginner in mastering the art of rolling the mochi dough into the traditional swirl shape
In English
This video shows different ways one can cut and design kamaboko fish cakes to add as decoration to dishes. Though Kamabuku is not a fish cake, these designs could also be used to plate kamabuku at special events
In English
Akita Hanamaru Green Tourism Promotion Council. (2021). Report - First Green Tourism Salon. https://www.akita-gt.org/study/hanamarudaigaku2021/green-tourism_salon1
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. (n.d.) Kamabuku (Potato and Mochi Cake). https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/k_ryouri/search_menu/4909/index.html
Bassyouni, F. (2023). Akita: Food Guide. Japan Travel. https://en.japantravel.com/akita/akita-food-guide/69993
Visit Akita ちゃんねる. (2020). Akita mama’s flavor - Kamabuku. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f5ztBFtZVo
Just One Cookbook. (2017). 7 Beautiful Designs to Cut Japanese Fish Cake (Kamaboko) かまぼこの飾り切り. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD5VIsZx3ww
Suzuhiro Kamaboko. (2024). Kamaboko. Kamaboko.com. https://www.kamaboko.com/en/kamaboko-2/