Dig Japan vol.20 “Kintsuba (きんつば)”

Kintsuba is wagashi, and the type commonly seen today is made by forming agar into a square shape, spreading a mixture of flour and water on both sides, and baking each side on a heated copper plate. In some areas, imagawayaki is also called kintsuba, as it is made in a similar way.

A wagashi confectioner based in Kanazawa, Morihachi's kintsuba (Photography by 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐨)

Kintsuba is an abbreviation of Kintsuba-yaki, which is derived from the tsuba (guard) of a Japanese sword. In the past, most sword tsuba were made of silver, so it was called “gintsuba,” but when the producing method was transmitted from Osaka to Edo in the late 1600s, the name changed to “kintsuba” because gold sounded more prestigious than silver.

It is said to have originally been invented in Osaka, and the prototype was made by kneading wheat flour with water, rolling it thinly, wrapping it in bean paste, forming it into a flat, round shape like the tsuba of a Japanese sword, and frying both sides in a frying pan with oil.

Morihachi's kintsuba (Photography by 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐨)

Nowadays, square “kaku-kintsuba” is common, which was invented by Sugita Taikichi, the founder of Kokado (now Hon-Takasagoya) in Motomachi, Kobe, during the Meiji period. Meanwhile, round kintsuba still remain in places such as the Toide area of ​​Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture.

In addition to azuki beans, there are also kintsuba made with sweet potatoes, known as “Satsuma kintsuba” or “imo kintsuba,” which are said to have originated in Kagoshima Prefecture. They are made by wrapping kintsuba in sweet potato paste, or by cutting imo yokan into squares and coating both sides with batter and frying them.

This article was written by 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐨, working as a freelance translator and press for overseas apparel brands in Japan, with the purpose of broadening her insight into the Japanese traditional culture.