🍱 Minazuki
Various local confections have developed in Kyoto, including rakugan, which is made by molding dough mixed with sugar and syrup in a wooden mold; wasanbon, which is made by molding high-quality wasanbon sugar in a wooden mold; and ariheito, which is made by boiling sugar and syrup together and molding it by hand. Mizunazuki" is another local confection traditionally eaten throughout the prefecture. It is made of white Uiro (rice cake) topped with azuki beans and cut into triangles. During the Heian period (794-1185), the court people used to take a sip of ice stored in an icehouse in the Nishigamo district of Kyoto's Kita Ward to get rid of the heat. At that time, ice was a luxury item, and the common people rarely had the opportunity to eat it. It is said that this is why people began to eat "mizunashi" (waterless moon), which is shaped like ice. In Kyoto, on June 30, "Nagoshi-no-harae," a Shinto ritual to purify the "sins and impurities" of the six months from January to June, is held at shrines in various parts of the city. During this ritual, mizunagetsu is eaten to drive away sins and pray for good health and good fortune. The triangular shape of mizunashizuki is a symbol of ice to ward off the heat, and the red color of the azuki beans is meant to drive away evil spirits. Kyoto Prefecture has designated mizunazuki as a "traditional Kyoto food" as it is an artistic food based on the culture of the imperial court and the tea ceremony nurtured in Kyoto. In designating it as such, the prefecture has established the following criteria: all products must be made by hand, and wooden molds must be hand-carved.