Zunda Mochi Edamame Sweet Paste Sendai Tohoku · The Japanese Canon

I

Origin

Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Tohoku; August-September fresh edamame harvest season

II

Description

Zunda mochi is one of Tohoku's most celebrated regional confections—a preparation of fresh edamame (green soybeans) that are boiled, shelled, ground to a smooth paste with sugar and salt, and used as a topping for mochi rice cakes or as a filling for wagashi. The name 'zunda' may derive from a local dialect word for 'edamame paste' (zuandame or jinendama). Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture is considered the home of zunda, and the brilliant green color that comes from preserving the chlorophyll of fresh edamame is the defining visual characteristic—the vivid bright green paste over white mochi creates a striking color contrast. Unlike anko (red bean paste) which is used nationally, zunda is distinctly regional, and its use of fresh soybeans rather than dried beans gives it a distinctive fresh, slightly grassy sweetness distinct from any sweet paste made from dried legumes. The edamame must be freshly harvested (peak August-September in Tohoku) and prepared immediately—frozen edamame loses much of the vivid color and fresh fragrance that defines premium zunda. Zunda soft-serve ice cream and zunda cream puffs have become popular Sendai tourist souvenirs.

III

The Thread

—Fresh green legume processed into a sweet paste as seasonal specialty with vivid color defining quality Chinese

—Fresh green plant material immediately processed to paste where color preservation indicates freshness and quality Mexican

IV

Flavour Context

Sweet, fresh, grassy soybean character; bright vivid green; light beaniness distinct from dried legume pastes

Pillars V — VII

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