Zunda mochi in Sendai (English transration)

I first learned about zunda mochi from the song "umarvelous," a collaboration between comedians Sandwichman and MONKEY MAGIC.

The lyrics of this song refer to zunda mochi.

For some reason, the word "zunda mochi" stuck in my head, and when I looked it up, I found out that it's a famous mochi in Sendai.

I started thinking that if I ever went to Sendai, I'd like to eat zunda mochi.

I remember this song being about 5 or 6 years ago, but I finally had the chance to visit Sendai the other day, and I decided that I had to go and try zunda mochi.

I didn't know any recommended shops, so I searched online and decided to go to a shop that I intuitively wanted to try.

The shop that caught my eye was "Murakamiya Mochiten."

Because it had a storefront and the atmosphere made me feel like it must be a long-established shop.

On that day, I headed for "Murakamiya Mochiten," located near the Katahira Campus of Tohoku University.

It was a bit of a walk from Sendai Station.

I went there early in the morning, but there was already a line of people waiting for their turn.

I didn't realize that there were two lines, one for eating in and one for takeaway, so I ended up standing in the shorter line.

This must be a very famous zunda mochi shop. I was sure that this was a good choice.

There were two lines, so I lined up in the shorter line, but I didn't realize at the time that there were two lines, one for takeaway and one for eating in the store, and the shorter line was for "takeaway".

I waited for about 30 minutes.

It really feels like a mochi shop.

It says "zunda[づんだ]" instead of "zunda[ずんだ]"!?

By the way, as you may notice in the photo, the curtain says "zunda[づんだ] mochi".

What is the difference between "zu[ず]" and "zu[づ]"?

"Zunda mochi" is originally a local dish from the Tohoku region, and is made with edamame paste and has become popular nationwide in recent years. It is said that the word originated from a corrupted version of "zuda[づだ]," which means to crush beans, and that in the past it was more commonly written as "zunda[づ]" rather than "zunda[ず]." The long-established Sendai store, Murakamiya Mochiten, which was founded as a mochi shop in 1877 and has a history of being a confectioner for the Date clan for generations, is said to be the birthplace of zunda mochi.

So Murakamiya Mochiten was the birthplace of zunda mochi.

Inside the store. In addition to zunda mochi, they also serve ohagi and other snacks. They all look delicious.　

Takeout pack of 3 for 790 yen　

It is topped with a generous volume of zunda.

We mix lots of zunda into the mochi.

You could eat it by mixing lots of zunda with the mochi.

Zunda refers to the green bean paste made from edamame beans.

Apparently it is made by removing the skins of boiled edamame beans, mashing them in a mortar, adding sugar, and seasoning with salt and water.

I ate it with a generous volume of Zunda.

When I tried it, the mochi was soft, with the texture and aroma of the edamame still intact, and, unlike ohagi or azuki mochi, it was not overly sweet.

Ah, I could finally eat it. I'm satisfied.

It seems that it is also sold as a souvenir, but it is kept refrigerated,

so I thought it was best to eat it fresh.

Thank you for reading until the end.