Dig Japan vol.38 “Kanoko (鹿の子)”

Dig Japan is a series in which I research and introduce in English topics related to traditional Japanese culture that interest me. In this article, I will introduce kanoko.

Kanoko is an abbreviation of “Kanoko Mochi” and is wagashi made of a core of gyuhi or yokan wrapped in azuki bean paste and covered with sweetened azuki beans. Kanoko means a baby deer, and was named after the beans that resemble the spots on a baby deer's back. “Kuri Kanoko” made with chestnuts is also famous, and in Toyama Prefecture, one of the famous sweets is the square-shaped Kanoko Mochi made by combining habutae mochi and egg white and sprinkling red kidney beans.

A wagashi confectioner based in Chiba, Ougiya's kanoko (Photography via Ougiya)

Kanoko is wagashi made up of 3 to 4 layers. It has a core of mochi, gyuhi, or yokan, which is wrapped in azuki bean paste, and the surface is tightly covered with sweetened beans called “kanoko mame.” It can also be finished with a layer of agar to give it a glossy finish.

Kanoko mame include azuki beans, red kidney beans, variegated kidney beans, and green peas, but as long as they are well-formed and firm, they can be called kanoko mame. For example, “Kuri Kanoko” made with chestnuts is also common and is a famous confectionery from Obuse Town, Nagano Prefecture. Kanoko made with white kidney beans is also called “Kyo Kanoko” and those made with red beans are sometimes called “Ogurano.”

A wagashi confectioner based in Gunma, Akaishiya's Kyo Kanoko (Photography via Akaishiya)

The name “Kanoko” comes from the fact that its surface resembles the spots on a fawn's back. It was first made during the Horeki era and was sold at Ebisu-ya, a Japanese confectionery shop in Ningyocho, Edo. This shop was the family home of actor Arashi Otohachi, and it became popular as a mochi made by the actor, and spread throughout Japan. Later, gyuhi and yokan came to be used for the core.

Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, is famous for Kanoko mochi, which is made by adding egg whites to habutae mochi, a mixture of glutinous rice and sugar, forming it into a square shape, and spreading sweet red kidney beans on the surface. It was also named after the fact that its surface resembles the mottled pattern on the back of a fawn.

This article was written by 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐨, working as a freelance translator and PR for overseas apparel brands in Japan, with the aim of broadening her own knowledge of traditional Japanese culture and spreading it to the world.