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Drink · Japan
Nihonshu
Japanese sake, a fermented beverage made from rice, koji and water. It is an official geographical indication of Japan and is served chilled, at room temperature, or warm, in small cups.
Flavors · Dazaifu
Umegae-mochi
Thin rice‑cake filled with sweet azuki bean paste and toasted on both sides in an iron mold stamped with a plum blossom, the symbol of Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine. It’s the sweet of the shrine avenue in Dazaifu.
Traditional sweet from Dazaifu, Fukuoka
Also known as: Umegae mochi, 梅ヶ枝餅, 梅が枝餅
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Umegae-mochi — Dazaifu, Japan
Umegae‑mochi is a round, flattened rice‑cake (mochi) made of thin rice dough, filled with anko, the sweet azuki bean paste, and toasted on both sides in an iron mold. The mold leaves a plum blossom mark on the surface. The exterior becomes slightly crisp while the interior stays soft and sweet. Despite the name, which means plum‑branch, it contains no plum.
The plum blossom is the symbol of Dazaifu Tenmangu, the shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, a ninth‑century scholar and poet venerated as the deity of studies. Tradition says that when Michizane lived in Dazaifu, a woman brought him mochi skewered on a plum branch, which supposedly gave the sweet its name. This is a legend without historical proof.
Umegae‑mochi is sold along the approach to the shrine, the sando, at many shops that toast it on the spot, in view of passersby. According to Fukuoka Prefecture tourism, eating umegae‑mochi while browsing the shops is part of the visit, and there are workshops where visitors can toast their own cake in the traditional mold.
The sweet is eaten hot, straight from the mold, often while walking along the avenue, and it is also taken home as a souvenir of a visit to Dazaifu.
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Where it comes from
Dazaifu , Fukuoka
The sweet of the approach to Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine.
Ingredients
Rice flour dough (mochi), anko made from azuki beans.
How it is eaten
Hot, freshly toasted, by hand, on the shrine avenue; also to take away.
When it is eaten
All year round, when visiting Dazaifu Tenmangu.
Your questions
Questions about Umegae-mochi
Does umegae‑mochi taste like plum?
No. Despite the name, which means plum‑branch, the sweet contains no plum. It is filled with sweet azuki bean paste and has a plum blossom stamped on the dough, the symbol of Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine.
Where can I eat umegae‑mochi?
On the avenue leading to Dazaifu Tenmangu in Dazaifu, where many shops toast it on the spot. There are also workshops where visitors toast their own cake.
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Beyond the guide
