The local souvenirs introduced in this issue are the standard and new classics found in Osaka. Osaka is a “gourmand’s town” where you can taste many specialties such as takoyaki, kushikatsu, and okonomiyaki. Pork buns from “551 Hourai” and cheesecakes from “Uncle Rikuro-san” are also popular, but how about “bulk gifts” that last a long time and are easy to distribute to your workplace and friends?
Amida Ike Daikoku’s “Iwaokoshi
Okoshi are dried sweets made by heating and drying rice or millet, mixing it with melted sugar or starch syrup, then molding it and drying it. The history of okoshi dates back to the 5th century B.C. to 794 B.C., and it is said to be the oldest confectionery in Japan.
Amidaike Daikoku, with its main store in Osaka City’s Nishi Ward, has been in business since 1805, manufacturing and selling confections such as “iwaokoshi,” a famous Osaka specialty.
The spiciness of the sharp ginger and the deep sweetness of the brown sugar are exquisite. The taste is somewhat nostalgic and reminds one of the “ginger tea” one used to drink in the cold winter. The texture is as hard as a single rock, but it is surprisingly easy to break it by hand because there are three lines on the reverse side.
© Source travel watch