🍱 Makigaki

A traditional food handed down in Yamato-cho, Kamimashiki County, in the Uki area, famous for its dried persimmons. With the meaning of "attracting good fortune," persimmons are in demand as gifts at the end of the year and as good luck charms for New Year's. The scene of "Makigaki" being made is newsworthy at this time of the year. Dried persimmons are made from a specialty astringent persimmon called "nayaboshi," which is rubbed by hand three times while being dried to get the right shape, and are ready when the surface is covered with white powder (fructose). To make "Makigaki (rolled persimmons)", cut the shaft and tip of a dried persimmon, slit it open lengthwise, carefully remove the seeds, stack 10 or more (depending on the size of the persimmon) in a rugby ball shape, wrap them in a bamboo skin, wrap them in straw, and then roll them up with a rope, using a lot of force to make it go round and round. A good indicator of a well-done product is that when cut, the brown color of the dried persimmon and the layer of white flour show up well and look like a rose flower. The unique flavor and natural sweetness of the dried persimmon is like a high-class Japanese confectionary. Production begins around July with removing the bark of the main bamboo and weaving rice straw while waiting for the dried persimmons to be ready and finished by the end of the year. While there are no differences among regions or producers in the way they wrap the bamboo skin, there are differences in the way they roll it up with a rope (straw or rush grass). In the past, persimmons were often seen hanging under the eaves of houses, but the number of producers of "Makigaki (rolled persimmons)" has been decreasing over the years.