What is Karinto Manju?

Karinto in a variety of shapes and flavours.

Karinto かりんとうis a sweet stick of deep-fried dough.
Manju 饅頭 is a sweet bean paste-filled dumpling.

When they collide, they become Karinto Manju. Obviously. Not a very original name, I admit. However, the deep-fried dumplings are very original in style.

This isn’t a very common snack. By that I mean, after living here a total of four years, I have heard of the more popular ones (such as manju or karinto), but this is the first time I have been introduced to Karinto Manju.

(Lest you think that last sentence is redundant, let me assure you that as someone who regularly forgets names and faces, I often introduce myself to people multiple times).

But, back to the sweets.

Momiji Manju,
a popular style of manju
from Miyajima.

It is, as the name suggests, a deep-fried dumpling. Manju are not my favourite Japanese snack (that term is reserved for anything with mochi in it). On the other hand, they are filled with sweet bean paste, and that forgives a multitude of sins.

I hope to learn how to make Japanese snacks, because the blog cannot do them justice. I feel like I am just giving you a photo and some random words: bean paste (what??), mochi (huh?), deep-fried dumplings (Okay, now we’re speaking the same language!).

The verdict on Karinto Manju: In my opinion, they are good, but not the best Japan has to offer. However, if you like deep-fried dough (and really, who doesn’t?), then I recommend trying them.

Thank you to wikimedia for use of the photos of Manju and Karinto.