One of my students went to Nagoya over the weekend and returned with a box of Nagoya souvenir cakes called "Kaeru Manju" that she shared with her classmates and her good old Sensei.
Omiyage
It’s customary in Japan to bring back omiyage (regional gifts) for friends, family, or colleagues after a trip, usually in the form of cakes or cookies. Every region, town and city seems to have its own unique cake or cookie, and in the case of Nagoya, there are several, one of which is "Kaeru Manju" or "frog-shaped sweet buns" - or more literally, simply "frog buns"!
Speaking of Frogs...
Speaking of frogs, I recently blogged about a Japanese "frog" proverb here:
https://hive.blog/hive-147010/@hirohurl/iroha-karuta-14-2-hey-frog-face-have-some-water
Nagoya Frog Buns
Nagoya frog buns are typically filled with "anko" (sweet red bean paste), but the ones my student brought back were filled with a lightly sweetened sweet potato mix.". The outside layer is a soft dough that complements the filling in both flavour and texture.
Kaeru Manju are made by a Nagoya-based confectionary company called "Aoyagi Sohonke." I wondered if there would be a connection between the company name and frogs, but "Ao yagi" sounds like "blue goat" but the kanji - 青柳 - actually mean "blue willow."
Wordplay - Frog / Return
However, the word "kaeru" (frog) also means "to return," so "kaeru manju" come with an extra layer of enjoyment because they are cakes that you give to your friends when you "kaeru" (return) from your trip.
Also, frogs are considered to be cute creatures in Japan, and small green frogs - which are indeed rather cute - are a common site, or sound, in the wetlands of Japan.
The frog-faced buns that my student handed out to her chums and her teacher certainly put a smile on our faces.
Cheers!
David Hurley
#InspiredFocus
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