Kuki City, Kazo City, Gyoda City

Glutinous rice, azuki beans

In Kuki City, Kazo City, Gyoda City, and other areas from northern to eastern Saitama Prefecture, "shio anbin" has been eaten to celebrate the harvest of new rice since ancient times. Shio an-bin" is a rice cake filled with sweet bean paste seasoned with salt instead of sugar, and the salt enhances the natural sweetness of azuki beans and glutinous rice. The sweet bean paste is now the mainstream, but this type was created in the middle of the Edo period, when sugar was so precious that the common people could seldom eat it. In the areas where "shio-an-bin" has been handed down, it is one of the familiar local dishes of the local people, and has been eaten on many occasions such as harvest festivals and other special occasions.

It was eaten by farmers when they celebrated the harvest of glutinous rice. In addition, handmade "shioan-bin" (salted bean jam) is sometimes sent to relatives on children's festive occasions such as Momo-no Sekku (Peach Festival), Tango no Sekku (Dragon Boat Festival), and first birthdays. Daifuku with red sweet bean paste and "shio an-bin" were sometimes served as red and white "an-bin mochi" on Hare (festive) days. It was also eaten on other occasions such as April 15 and October 15, when people waited for the sun to shine, and on September 1, when people prayed for a good harvest before the rice harvest and gave gifts, etc. There is also a custom of having children who have started walking before their first birthday carry about 10 salt an-bin on their backs to celebrate their growth.

Softly cooked azuki beans are mixed with salt and kneaded well. Soak the glutinous rice in water overnight, drain off the water, steam it for about an hour, and pound it with a rice-cake pounding machine. Divide the rice into individual portions and place the salted bean paste in the center of the flattened rice cake and wrap it around the rice cake. Shape into a slightly flat circle. It is usually eaten with sugar, but it can also be baked with soy sauce.

It is made at home and can be purchased at Japanese confectionery stores in the prefecture.