🍱 Mameshitogi

An unprocessed dessert made by mixing and kneading flour and sugar into green soybeans that have been boiled and mashed. The “shitogi” part refers to the dish made with rice crushed into flour – said to be a prototype to present day mochi – and once used as an offering at shrines all over the country. The Nanbu region was often beset by cold weather that damaged crops, and with rice being so precious, soybeans were added to the recipe so it could still be made. Thus it became known as “mame (bean) shitogi.” Every household had a large amount of soybeans as they grew them to use to make miso soup. On sunny days, people would make their offerings to the mountain god or god of agriculture, praying for good health and abundant crops. Afterwards, they would either steam or grill the "mameshitogi" and eat them.