🍱 Tenyose Jelly Cake

The Suwa region's kanten (agar agar) producing industry developed due to the area's low temperatures and stable weather, which allowed for longer production seasons than other areas, and the opening of the railroad at the end of the Meiji period (1868 - 1912). The kanten industry started in the Edo period (1603 – 1868). It is said that Kumezaemon Kobayashi, a migrant kanten producer, brought the process back to his hometown. Kanten is made by boiling red algae, such as Gelidium amansii and gracilaria, letting it set, and then freezing and drying it repeatedly. In the Suwa region, tenyose is a delicacy that is a regular feature in summer dishes, and is served as a confectionery and at annual events. Tenyose is a jelly-like cake made with kanten (agar agar). It is served at the Suwa-taisha Shrine's Onbashira Festival as a festive dish to welcome visitors. It is also an indispensable dish at weddings and funerals in the Suwa region, with the ingredients and taste varying depending on the event and season. Tenyose is often made when people gather, adding color to the table.