A pop-up sale for Kumamoto's local specialty sweet "Ikinari Dango," renowned for the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes, began on the 27th in the pop-up space on the B1F East side of Palaceside Building. The sale runs through the 31st, and from the very first day, sweet-tooths seeking its simple, rustic flavor quickly came to buy.
Ikinari Dango is a steamed confection made by wrapping sliced sweet potatoes in flour dough. In the Kumamoto dialect, "ikinari" means "easy, quick, and immediate," and the name is said to come from how it can be made quickly and easily, even to serve unexpected guests. Exactly one year ago, singer Shizuka Kudo, who visited Kumamoto for a concert, posted a video of herself eating Ikinari Dango on Instagram, raving, "Mmm, so good! It's delicious," which became a hot topic.
The dango manufactured by Higoya (Kumamoto City) are available in five varieties: plain, purple sweet potato, chestnut, mugwort, and walnut, priced at 299 to 322 yen each (tax included). The four types of manju are Kintoki, brown sugar Kintoki, brown sugar, and pumpkin, priced at 199 yen each (tax included).