Yamagata famous confectionery “Noshiume”

[Yamagata Prefecture] Is it a reminder drug? Yamagata’s specialty Japanese sweets “Noshiume”

Do you know “Noshiume”, a famous Yamagata confectionery It looks like jelly and looks like a children's candy, but it is a Japanese sweet with a long and venerable history. This time we will introduce Yamagata's famous confectionery "Noshiume".

What is Noshiume?

Noshi-ume is a type of Japanese sweets that has been passed down in Yamagata since ancient times.It is made by grinding plums, kneading them into agar , spreading them thinly, drying them, and sandwiching them between bamboo skins.

Noshi plum

It has been loved for many years for its cool, jelly-like appearance, moderate sweetness, and elegant taste.

Did it all start with a Chinese secret medicine recipe?

goes back to the time of Yoshiaki Mogami, the lord of the Yamagata domain Kobayashi Genbata , who was a doctor to the Yamagata feudal lord at the time, went to Nagasaki to study, he was taught by a Chinese how to make a secret medicine using plums as an ingredient, and based on that, he created what is now known as Noshi. It is said to be the prototype of ``Ume''.

Later, during the turmoil of the Yamagata clan, the manufacturing method was inherited by the descendants of Genbata, who moved to the city center and became doctors and pharmacists for a living, and it is said that they began to make it in each home as a folk medicine for stomach medicine and for the mind. .

It is said that the original form of the medicine was a starch syrup-like mixture of boiled plums and brown sugar.

The originator of the current form of ``Noshiume'' Noshiume Honpo Satoya , a long-established store founded in 1821. It is said that he became popular when he sold ``Noshiume'' as a confectionery to the visitors of ``Dewa Sanzan Pilgrimage,'' which was popular during the Edo period. Satoya's records from that time include records of exports to the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria. That's amazing!

I actually tried it.

This time, I purchased ``Noshiume'' from Tamaya Sohonten, which Tamaya Sohonten is a long-established company that was founded in 1754 and manufactures and sells sweets centered on ``Noshiume''.

Yamagata specialty noshi plum

I get the impression that I often see this package at Sendai Station.

Noshi plum

There were four ``Noshi plums'' sandwiched between bamboo skins. When you press it with your hand, it feels like a cushion.

Enlarged view of Noshi plum

When the bamboo skin is turned over, the plum blossoms appear. The refreshing scent of plums spreads all at once. One piece is quite large.

Noshi plum

I flipped through all four. It's sticky when you touch it directly. It's best to eat it while sandwiched between bamboo skins.

The texture is chewy, and the taste is much more sour than I expected! I felt like my face was going to swell up. After a while, the sweetness begins to wash over you. You may be surprised at first, but once you get used to it, it has a perfect balance of sourness and sweetness, and you will never get tired of it. It feels like a dessert for adults. It's also good as a tea snack.

summary

Safflower has long been a specialty of Yamagata Prefecture, and its products were traded at high prices, especially in the Kamigata region. It is said that plum acid was used to extract red dye from the safflower, so plums were also widely cultivated. It must have been a natural progression for Noshiume to be born in Yamagata.

It lasts for about two months at room temperature and is reasonably priced, so I think it would make a good souvenir from Yamagata.

INFORMATION

Noshiume Honpo Satoya Main Store

Tamaya main store

TikTok videos

@neft_tohoku I tried "Noshiume" from Tamaya Sohonten, a long-established store in Yamagata Prefecture that was founded in 1754! Noshi-ume is a Japanese-style sweet made by solidifying ground plums with agar. I learned for the first time that it originated in Yamagata! #Yamagata Prefecture #Yamagata Specialty #Tamaya Sohonten #Noshi Plum ♬ Lovingcall

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