🍱 Iga manju
Igamanju, which is said to have originated in Konosu City (formerly Kawasato-cho), is a local delicacy for special occasions that has been handed down from generation to generation in the breadbasket region of northeastern Saitama Prefecture. In the area where many farmers have grown wheat as a back crop, flour dishes such as udon and manju have developed so much that the phrase "udon for lunch in the morning with manju" was born. Iga manju, a steamed combination of manju and sekihan (red rice), has an unexpectedly sweet and salty flavor and firm texture, and once you try it, you will become addicted to it. The name "iga-manju" comes from the fact that the manju is covered with sekihan (red rice), which looks like the "iga" of a chestnut. There are various theories as to the origin of the manju, such as, "Glutinous rice was expensive, so the manju was placed inside the sekihan to increase the bulk," or "A farmer's wife steamed sekihan and manju together in a rice steamer to save time and effort, and they ended up sticking together.