Manju (bun) - Manju

Japanese: まんじゅう(饅頭) - まんじゅう

A type of steamed cake. A type of steamed cake that has been made in China since ancient times, it is made by kneading wheat flour into a skin and wrapping meat or vegetable paste inside it and steaming it. In China, it is called mantou, but in Japan, it has been called manju, with the "head" pronounced in Tang and Song pronunciation. There is a circulating legend that it began when Zhuge Kongming wrapped sheep or pig meat in wheat flour skin to resemble a human head and worshipped barbarian gods in place of human sacrifice. Since it resembled a barbarian's head, it was called "barbarian head," which was corrupted to "manju."

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

蒸菓子の一種。中国で古くからつくられていた蒸餅（じようへい）の一種で，小麦粉をこねて皮とし，肉や野菜のあんを包んで蒸すものであった。中国でマントウというが，日本では〈頭〉を唐･宋音で読んで〈まんじゅう〉と呼んできた。諸葛孔明（しよかつこうめい）が羊や豚の肉を小麦粉の皮に包んで人頭に模し，人身犠牲にかえて蛮神を祭ったことに始まるという伝説が流布されており，蛮人の首にかたどったので〈蛮頭〉といい，それがなまって〈饅頭〉になったとされる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Manjugani (bun crab) - Manjugani

>>: Manchuria - Manshu