The “National Travel Assistance” has finally started. Many people may be planning to take advantage of discount plans and local coupons to take a petit luxury hot spring trip for the first time in a while. In this issue, we introduce two famous confections from Hakone Town in Kanagawa Prefecture, which is dotted with scenic spots such as Lake Ashi and Owakudani and sophisticated hot spring resorts. If you have any doubts about your choice of souvenirs, please take a look at them.
Chimoto’s “Yumochi” (hot-spring rice cake)
Yumochi” is an indispensable Hakone souvenir. It is the signature product of “Gokashiji Chimoto,” which has had its main store on Yutaki-dori in Hakone for 70 years, and has been selected as a Kanagawa Prefecture-designated famous confectionary.
The rice cake is made by kneading Japanese glutinous rice into white bean flour, sprinkled with chopped Honne Yokan (sweet bean jelly), which is inspired by the rocks of the Hayakawa River flowing through Hakone, and gently wrapped in a bamboo skin. Although it is a rice cake, it is very soft and its texture is as fluffy as a marshmallow. The slight aroma of yuzu (citrus fruit) in the air is a characteristic of the local specialty of citrus fruits.
Chimoto does not add artificial ingredients to their products as much as possible, and instead, they value the taste of the ingredients themselves, and insist on making their products by hand. Therefore, please note that they do not last very long. The store on Hakone-Yumoto Ekimae Dori is adjacent to the Japanese confectionery cafe “Cha Chimoto,” where you can enjoy a cup of coffee while savoring freshly made yumochi.
© Source travel watch