Imagawayaki - Imagawayaki

A confectionery made by wrapping red bean paste in a wheat flour skin and baking it on a copper plate. It was sold at a stall near Kanda Imagawabashi in Edo in the late Edo period, hence the name Imagawayaki. It is also called Imagawa for short. In a broad sense, it is a type of cheap snack that belongs to the manju category. Initially, sesame oil was applied to a copper plate, a copper ring was placed on it, wheat flour dissolved in water was poured into it to make the skin, the bean paste was put in, the skin was put on top, and it was baked by hitting it. Later, it was changed to a copper plate with a pattern on the concave surface or an iron plate. The catchphrase "Imagawayaki bakes in an instant," a play on the Battle of Okehazama, was used until the early Showa period, and it was a popular item in the downtown area. It is also a seasonal sight on the streets when the cold winds blow. It is called by various names depending on the baking mold, such as taiko-yaki, obanyaki, and fish-shaped taiyaki.

[Fumio Sawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小麦粉の皮で小豆(あずき)のつぶし餡(あん)をくるみ、銅板で焼いた菓子。江戸時代後期、江戸・神田今川橋付近で屋台売りしたので今川焼の名がついた。略して今川ともいう。広義にはまんじゅうの部類に入る駄菓子。当初は銅板にごま油を引き、銅の輪をのせて小麦粉を水に溶いたものを注いで皮とし、餡を入れて上から皮をかぶせ、打ち返し焼いた。のちには凹面に文様をつけた銅板、鉄板にかわった。「たちまち焼ける今川焼」と桶狭間(おけはざま)の戦いをもじったキャッチ・フレーズは昭和初期まで使われ、下町の人気者だった。寒風の吹くころは街頭の風物詩でもある。焼き型により呼び名はいろいろで、太鼓焼、大判焼、魚形のたい焼などがある。

［沢　史生］

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