Sponsored Links

Q. – What comes on your mind when you hear the best souvenir from Fukushima Prefecture?

Here is the result from 400 responders who answered to Style Koriyama’s questionnaire!

Famous sweets, local specialties and cuisine, folk crafts, and so on and so forth… What did our readers choose from the wide variety of souvenir candidates?

See how many items you know, which might show how much you know about Fukushima prefecture. Now you got curious? The result is as below!!
Note: Includes multiple answers.

Best 1 – 10 (Ranked by number of votes)

No.1: Mamador (Milky sweet bite produced by Sanmangoku. Co., Ltd. based in Koriyama)

This baked confectionery is a bite size butter moist cake with milky white bean jam inside. It has been super popular since its release in 1967. According to some sources, it also tastes fantastic when it is frozen! Choc Mamador is also highly admired, but available only from October to May.

No.2: Usukawa Manju (Azuki bean jam filled bun produced by Kashiwaya. Co., Ltd. Based in Koriyama)

Usukawa Manju is produced by an over 160 years old confectionery shop. Also, well known as one of “Japan’s top three manju”. Its outside bun is very thin and the inside is filled with moderately sweet azuki bean jam.

No.3: Yubeshi / Kurumi Yubeshi (Sweet rice cake confectionery produced by companies including Kannoya, Daikokuya, Kashiwaya, etc.)

↑This image shows “Kaden Yubeshi” produced by Kannoya.

This rice cake confectionery has different characteristics depending on areas. Most of the time, it contains sesame or chestnuts in Tohoku area. Especially in Fukushima prefecture, Yubeshi has a tetrapod-like shape and is filled with smooth azuki bean jam.

No.4: Eccuson Pie (Pastry with soy bean jam inside produced by Sanmangoku.co., Ltd. Based in Koriyama)

Inside Eccuson Pie, there is a mixture of silky azuki bean jam and chestnuts inside. Very popular products of Sanmangoku as well as Mamador mentioned above.

No.5: Fruits (Peach, Grape, Pear, Apple, Mishirazu Persimmon)

Fukushima prefecture can be called “Fruit Kingdom Fukushima” since it has a great natural environment that allows to harvest various seasonal fruits all through a year. Other than eating, there are fascinating ways to enjoy them, such as fruit picking and winery touring.

No.6: Cream Box (Sweetened Bread produced by Bakery Romio and other bakeries, based in Koriyama, and other makers)

Cream Box is a thick sliced bread topped with tons of milk taste cream. Super popular in Koriyama and definitely a soul food of this city. Released in 1976 by “Bakery Romio”, and now this type of sweetened bread can be seen at many other bakeries.

No.7: Lemo (Lemon Cheese Tart produced by Kashiwaya Co., Ltd. Based in Koriyama)

This lemon flavor cheese tart tastes rich but refreshing. Produced by Kashiwa-ya, the same confectionery company of Usukawa Manju. Cool it in summer, so it will feel good!

No.8: Aka Beko (Folk toy mainly produced in Aizu area)

Keychain version is also popular.

“Aka” means red in Japanese, and “beko” means cattle in Tohoku area. Akabeko is a red papier-mache cattle that shakes its head adorably. Originally used as an amulet. Very famous folk craft born in Yanaizu area and now represents whole Aizu area.

No.9: Nihonshu (Japanese Sake) Produced in Fukushima

At “Japan’s New Sake Competitive Show 2019”, Fukushima became the best prefecture that got the most numbers of “Gold Awards” for seven consecutive years. Fukushima is the first perfecter that accomplished the great achievement. Enjoy Fukushima’s various sake that are brewed from Fukushima’s beautiful water and rice.

No.10: Tasty Products Made by Rakuo Nyu-gyo (Café au lait, Strawberry au lait, Milk Rusk, Sablé, Choc Crunch, etc.)

Café au lait

This dairy company produces quality milk from cows raised in Fukushima’s beautiful environment. Among many products, Rakuo Café au lait is highly reputed and getting popular outside Fukushima.

 

Best 11- 20

No.11: Kitakata Ramen

Kitakata Ramen is a local ramen regarded as one of “Japan’s three most famous ramen”. Kitakata city has so many ramen restaurants that the number of those per capita is said to be highest in Japan. For to go, kits with soup and ramen noodle crackers are available.

No.12: Aizu no Tenjin-sama (Sweet bouchée cake produced by Taroan co., Ltd.)

Fluffy bouchée sandwich with salt-accented cream cheese. This sweet bite is an iconic product of a famous sweets company in Aizu city, Taroan.

No.13: Imokuri Sataro (Sweet potato confectionery produced by Daio based in Fukushima City)

This sweet potato-based confectionery is very popular for its natural sweetness from sweet potatoes and chestnuts. Named after a folk tale passed down in Fukushima area.

No. 14: Mugisenbei (Sweet cracker produced by Taiyodo Mugisenbei Honpo based in Fukushima)

Mugisenbei is Japanese traditional sweet cracker made from flour and peanuts. Tastes simple and subtly sweet, and has a nice baked-smell, which makes you addicted.

No.15: Tama-yokan (azuki bean jelly produced by Tamashimaya based in Nihonmatsu )

Inside this lovely looking tiny balloon, an authentically made azuki bean jelly ball is hidden. Put it on a plate and prick with a toothpick. The balloon pops and the jelly ball shows up.

No.16: Karinto Manju (Deep fried steamed bun produced by Okashi-no Sakai)

Karinto Manju is fried steamed bun filled with smooth azuki bean jam. Simmered brown sugar is mixed in the dough for the bun. You can enjoy fried cookie and bun at the same time.

No.17: Hana Kotoba (Sweet buns produced by Kashiwaya Co., Ltd. Based in Koriyama)

Inside the vanilla flavored sweet moist buns, there is milky flavor white bean jam. This modern Japanese sweet bite has a subtle flavor of Western confectionery. It would be nicer if you use an original tote bag from Kashiwaya to put a box of these sweet bites as a gift.

No.19: Awa Manju (Traditional confectionery stuffed with azuki bean jam mainly produced in Yanaizu area)

For this round shaped steamed confectionery, a mixture of millet with glutinous rice is used to wrap nice silky azuki bean jam. Very popular in Yanaizu-machi, Kawanuma-gun area. The best part is its nice sticky rice cake texture with delightful crunchiness of millet.

No.19: Abukuma-no Koyo-zuke (Fermented salmon produced by Fukushima Koyo-zuke Kabushiki-gaisha Co., Ltd. Based in Date)

Abukuma-no Koyo-zuke is a traditional preserved food passed down from the late Edo era (before mid-1800s). This rice-koji fermented cuisine is made with salmon caught during the season of autumn leaves, “Koyo”, which is where its name came from. In autumn, a view of great salmon run can be seen along Abukuma river in Fukushima.

No.20: Anpo-gaki (Persimmons)

This very famous product is a kind of dried fruit mainly produced in Date, Fukushima. By being smoked by sulfur, the astringent persimmons get dried and the astringency goes away. The texture is soft like azuki bean jelly and juicer than simply dried persimmons.

Other Recommended Sweet Bites, Famous Confectionery, Cuisine Products (In random order)

Amanatto (Sweetened beans produced by bean sweets specialty shop, Okuya in Kitakata)

Ika Ninjin (Shredded carrots and dried squid marinated in a mixture of soy sauce-based seasoning. Local cuisine of Naka-dori Fukushima)

Umakute Shouga-ne!! (Simmered ginger rice topping seasoned with soy sauce-based seasoning produced by Azuma Shokuhin)

Ume Dora (Japanese pancake sandwich filled with plum mixed bean jam and a whole sweetened plum produced by Daikokuya in Koriyama)

Caramel Popcorn (Produced by a soft caramel factory, Mukaiyama Seisakusho in Koriyama)

Kunsei Tamago (Smoked Eggs)

Koi-no Kanro-ni (Sweet simmered carp. Local cuisine mainly eaten in Koriyama, Aizu, and Yonezawa area.)

Photo provided by Koriyama City

Shiawase-no Kiroi Busse (Bouchée produced by Okashi-no Sakai in Koriyama)

Jangara (Sweet bite filled with azuki bean jam produced by Okashi-no Miyoshi in Iwaki)

Soft Caramel Candies (Mukaiyama Seisakusho in Koriyama)

Fly Me to The Moon Yokan Fantasia (Beautiful jelly confectionery produced by Honke Nagatoya in Aizu Wakamatsu)

Yoghurt (Produced by a yoghurt specialty shop, Morning in Koriyama)

Kidaru-iri Beer Cake (Beer-soaked cake packed in a wooden barrel. It is said to be available only at Asahi Beer Factory.)

Jelly-no Ie (Jelly’s House, Jelly specialty shop in Iwaki)

Asakano Kyabetsu (Kyabetsu means cabbage. Cream puff produced by Hinodeya in Koriyama)

Ume-bai (Sweet buns filled with bean jam and shredded sweetened green plum produced by Fleurage in Koriyama)

Homachi Manju (Steamed bun stuffed with bean jam produced by Sanmangoku. Co., Ltd. based in Koriyama)

Other Recommended Folk Crafts (In random order)

Okiagari Kobohi (Traditional lucky mascot of Aizu area. Recognized as one of folk toys.)

Miharu Goma (Traditional folk craft of Koriyama. Folk toy)

Others (In random order)

Boar Fur

Crystal

 

Sponsored Links