In business for over 70 years, this traditional confectioner figured out how to turn the suspension of a Japanese tradition into a new one of their own.
Summer is the season for fireworks in Japan, as brilliantly colored pyrotechnics put a percussive-sounding punctuation point on fun festivals around the country. Of course, here at SoraNews24 we’re of the mindset that any and all seasons are the season for desserts, which brings us to today’s topic: edible fireworks.
We can thank Okamedo, a wagashi/Japanese sweets maker in the town of Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, for these beautiful treats. And while it wouldn’t feel quite right to “thank” the coronavirus pandemic for anything, the global health crisis did play a role in their creation as well. When social distancing protocols led to the cancellation of various entertainment events during the early 2020s, fireworks festivals were some of the first to get the axed from the calendar. Saddened by this temporary loss of a much-loved part of Japanese culture, Okamedo wondered if, even if people couldn’t see fireworks, there was a way for their candy makers to let people taste fireworks.
Thankfully they didn’t take the literal approach of just biting into a fistful of firecrackers, and instead focused on evoking the captivating visual aspects, with the result being the gorgeous Uchiage Hanabi, which share their name with the Japanese term for skyrocket-type fireworks.
What you’re seeing there are domes made of a mix of Domyoji-kan, a gelatin made from steamed mochi rice, and kingyokukan, a different kind of gelatin made from agar and sugar. The resulting vibrant, yet subtly graduated, blue color symbolizes a pocket of the night sky lit up by fireworks, and to represent the fireworks themselves, Okamedo uses flakes of gold and silver leaf, luxurious ingredients occasionally added to high-end cuisine in Japan.
There’s even a metaphorical aspect to the texture, with the wiggly quality of the kingyokukan making for a sort of pop like the bursting of a firework shell followed by a figurative echo as you savor the chewier Domyoji-kan.
▼ Okamedo has been in business for over 70 years, but is always looking for tasty ways to innovate. Their name means “Turtle Hall,” by the way, which is why their company symbol is an abstract painting of the animal (as for the tanuki statue with exposed testicles, there’s a reason for that too).
Since its introduction, Okamedo’s Uchiage Hanabi has become a major hit, and even with actual fireworks festivals now back in full force in Japan, the sweets have become a summertime tradition of their own for the confectioner. This year’s batch is on sale now through the Okamedo online shop here, and will be available at the company’s shops in Aichi’s Higashi Mikawa area starting in August. They’re offered in a “six-burst” pack for 3,480 yen (US$21), and online orders ship frozen and are meant to be thawed in the refrigerator before eating, which should give them an even more glisteningly beautiful appearance.
As a seasonal item, quantities are limited, but if you can’t manage to get your hands on any of these edible fireworks, you con comfort yourself with the knowledge that Okamedo also makes some incredible, and incredibly cute, autumn treats.
Related: Okamedo shop list
Source: PR Times, Okamedo
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Okamedo
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