Foods
Sweets
CentralArea

[Kashin in Sapporo] Zukume Rice Dumpling Covered with Refined Japanese Sugar and Black Sesame

May 3rd, 2014

CONTENTS

Kashin
- Maruyama Park
- SAPPORO
Zukume-Dango Skewered Rice Dumplings

Kashin

Kita-no-Wagashi Yondai Kashin (嘉心) is a popular store specializing in Japanese confectionery near Maruyama park (円山公園) and Subway Tozai Line Nishi 18-chome Station in Chuo ward, Sapporo city. They used to be eastablished in Nemuro city in 1901, and moved to Maruyama, Sapporo in 2004. Kashin corp. (株式会社嘉心) runs it, and Mr. Yoshifumi Takano (髙野嘉文) is a company president at present. He used to train his cooking skill in Kanazawa and Tokyo. They serve Japanese confectionery made from fresh raw materials without preservative.

The appearance of their building has a typical atmosphere of Japanese confectionery store. The warmth of woods is felt. Only the showcase is provided at the small store, but the modern Japanese atmosphere is felt, and it is comfortable. I guess that a place for customers to enjoy foods and drinks is not provided at the store.

Movie of Kashin

Maruyama Park

Maruyama (円山) is a mountain at an altitude of 226 m in the westrn part of Chuo Ward, Sapporo city, and used to be called "Mt. Moiwa (モイワ山)". It means "A small mountain" in Ainu language. Mr. Michitoshi Iwamura (岩村通俊), a chief of Hokkaido Development Commission, named this neighborhood as Maruyama Village after Maruyama in Kyoto in 1872, and the mountain has been called "Mt. Maruyama" before people knows it. Around the foot of the Mt. Mauyama is called "Maruyama Park" at present, and it is a place of recreation and relaxation for Sapporo citizen. The large area is about 70 ha, and Hokkaido-jingu Shrine (北海道神宮), Maruyama Athletic Field (円山総合運動場) and Maruyama Zoo (円山動物園) are built on the site, and Maruyama Virgin Forest (円山原始林) grows, too, and this park has rich nature. It is well-known for a place famous for cherry blossoms and fall foliage, and a lot of tourists come. In addition, the Mt. Maruyama can be hiked, too, and trails are built for about 3 km in total length, and the time it takes to hike the mountain is around 1 hour. Article is here

SAPPORO

Sapporo (札幌) that about 1,960,000 people live is the largest city in Hokkaido. Although there are various theories, its origin of the name is "Dry Big River (乾いた大きな川)" in Ainu language. A population of the Sapporo is the 4th largest city after Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya in japan, and the population accounts for 36 % of Hokkaido's population! So the Sapporo has been flourished as the center of the Hokkaido. The area of the Sapporo is 1,121.26 km2, and is about as big as Hong Kong, and is the 7th largest city in the Hokkaido. The Sapporo is also famous as a tourist city, and about 15 million people come. As for a climate, it is hot that temperature rises to nearly 25 degrees in a summer, but it is easy to live without moisture. I always feel a little cool. It is cold that temperature falls to nearly -10 degrees in a winter, and amount of snowfall sometimes has more than 1 m. Article is here

Zukume-Dango Skewered Rice Dumplings

Among a lot types of Japanese confectionery such as Bean‐jam pancake (どらやき), Bean-paste bun (まんじゅ) and Bean‐jam‐filled wafers (もなか), Zukume-dango Skewered Rice Dumplings (ずくめ団子 * Skewered rice dumplings covered with sugar and black-seeded sesame) is especially famous. The price was JPY 650. When I opened a box, only black sesame and refined Japanese sugar (和三盆) appeared. But 5 skewered rice dumplings were hidden when I dug out the sesame and the sugar. It had highly entertaining.

Although the rice dumplings were covered with a lots of the sugar, those were not as sweet as those looks. I thougt that it was a reason that the rice dumplings were not sweet themselves. The rice dumplings with the chewy texture were tasty, too. Besides, eaters might use those for other dishes if they do not eat rest of the sesame and the sugar. A recipe using the sesame and the sugar was also affixed to the box. Thanks for the tasty Zukume-Dango Skewered Rice Dumplings!

Parking lot	Parking is provided (4 Cars)
Business hours	10:00-18:00 * They close a store at 17:00 in winter season.
Regular closing day	Monday and the 2nd Tuesday
Telephone number	+81-11-623-0185
Home page	Home page is here
Mapcode	9 489 349*50