Daifuku -Otowaya 音羽屋-

　There are numerous wagashi shops in Kyoto. Wagashi is the general term for traditional Japanese confectionery, and there are many different types, such as mochi (rice cakes), yokan (japanese sweet bean jelly). Daifuku, a type of wagashi made from red bean paste wrapped in a rice cake, is particularly popular as a common Japanese confectionery.
　A variety of ingredients are used in daifuku, with popular varieties including mame daifuku made from red peas or soya beans, and ichigo daifuku with strawberries in the bean paste.
　A must-try when visiting Kyoto is Otowaya’s yomogian-mochi. Yomogian-mochi are daifuku rice cakes with mugwort kneaded into the rice cake. Yomogi is a wildflower that grows along roadsides in Japan, and the young shoots in spring are put into the rice cake. The leaves are also used to stop haemorrhage, and when drunk as a tea, it is said to promote blood circulation and prevent anaemia.
　The unique colour and aroma may surprise you, but this is the taste of Japan.