Kinds of Wagashi
薯蕷饅頭・じょうよまんじゅう
Joyo manju
A pure white steamed bun, raised to softness by the power of grated yam.
Joyo manju is a steamed bun in which bean paste is wrapped in a dough of grated yam (tsukune-imo or yamato-imo) combined with sugar and rice flour (joyo flour). Its name can also be written with a different set of characters.
The yam makes it rise softly, and it finishes with a moist, fine-grained white skin. A faint aroma of yam and an elegant texture are its charm.
Precisely because its form is so simple, the season or a happy occasion is expressed with a branded mark or a touch of color. As red-and-white manju, it is also indispensable at celebrations.
