🍡 Uiro (Sweet Steamed Cake)
”Uiro" is known to be produced in Nagoya, Kyoto, and Odawara. Nagoya is particularly famous for its efforts to procure raw materials amid postwar shortages and to make Japanese sweets, which were then sold throughout the country. Yamaguchi prefecture is also known as a production center for such "Uiro". Nagoya's "Uiro”, which is mainly made from rice flour and sugar, is a steamed confectionery with a chewy texture and heavy weight. However, Yamaguchi prefecture's "Uiro" is made with bracken flour, which gives it an elasticity and a chewy texture. The one in Yamaguchi is also characterized by its unique smoothness, described locally as "Ottori" (=gentle). It is said to have been popular since the Muromachi period (1333-1573), and is a traditional confectionary loved by people in Yamaguchi prefecture for a long time. Although they are popular as daily tea cakes, they are also prized for their elegant sweetness and unique flavor and are used for souvenirs and wedding gifts. Specialty and traditional sweet shops may also sell variations that include "Mattcha"(=powdered green tea), red bean, chestnut, "Yuzu"(=small Japanese citrus fruits), and other ingredients.