Kumamoto's famous confectionery is "Jintataiko," and I visited the direct store called Komei at Hakata Station in Ming. I usually go to the store at Kumamoto Castle, so it was a long time since I saw the products, and I found that they had released a matcha-flavored Jintataiko, so I bought it. I found out that it has been on sale since New Year's Day this year. In the past, it was difficult to eat because it was large and filled with red bean paste, but now there are mini sizes available, which makes me happy. The special Jintataiko matcha flavor (mini 2 pieces for 248 yen) has a dense red bean paste-like filling with mochi inside. Both the red bean paste and mochi are kneaded with matcha, so the appearance is a deep green color, and the taste is heavily influenced by matcha. There is a moderate bitterness to it, so even those who think regular Jintataiko is too sweet may enjoy it. It was very delicious.

In Kumamoto, there is a famous confectionery shop called "Kashi no Koume," which also has a store in Hakata Station Ming. They offer a wide variety of delicious sweets. I purchased the "Homare no Jin Taiko" (160 yen), which is a representative confectionery of Kumamoto made with plenty of Hokkaido-grown Azuki beans wrapped in sweet mochi. The refreshing and delicious taste with a restrained sweetness, combined with the chewy mochi, is excellent. The "Higo Gojuyonman Goku" (105 yen) is a creative confectionery made by wrapping upper-cut bean paste in mochi and sandwiching it with a crispy thin layer. It is adorned with the Hosokawa family crest "Kuyomon," giving it an elegant touch. It has a gentle sweetness and a smooth texture, making it a refined confectionery.

Today, I bought a souvenir from here♪ It's Kumamoto's famous confectionery, "Homare no Jin Daiko". It features flavorful Dainagon azuki beans cooked in a secret honey, wrapped in a soft gyuhi. They are shaped like drums using a patented paper canning method. You can enjoy a refreshing sweetness that is not too overpowering! The combination of chewy gyuhi and Hokkaido red beans is delicious without a doubt❗️ The red beans are whole and not too sweet, so you can eat as many as you want. Let's support Kumamoto's local confectionery~(^o^)/Thank you for the meal♪

Kumamoto's famous confectionery "Homare no Jin Daiko" has been around for several decades. A colleague from Kumamoto would always bring it as a souvenir when visiting home. Back then, it was so sweet that one piece was enough (lol). However, now when I eat it, I find the sweetness more balanced and the texture of the red beans delicious. I can now enjoy two pieces (lol).

I bought my favorite musha-gaeshi for the first time in a while. It was moist and delicious.

It is a pastry with sweet bean paste inside, like a cross between Japanese and Western sweets. I think everyone has eaten this kind of snack somewhere before. It turns out, it is a specialty from Kumamoto.

The movie "Natsume's Book of Friends" and the snack "Koume" collaborated, and a new package of "Happy Jin Taiko" with three Nyanko-sensei cats will be released on September 29, 2018. The product, which contains nine special Jin Taiko snacks, was sold at major Koume stores in Kumamoto prefecture, but it also arrived at a shop in Hakata Station in late August. However, it sold out immediately. The inside of the package is slightly smaller than the regular product and was produced in limited quantities. Even though there was a slight increase in production, it was still not enough, as it quickly sold out in Hakata Station. The creator of the series, Yuki Midorikawa, is from Kumamoto, so local children are familiar with Natsume's Book of Friends and Nyanko-sensei. The taste of the special Jin Taiko snack is better than the regular one, but one downside of Jin Taiko products is that sometimes the paper knife is missing. This time, the "Happy Jin Taiko" package includes four large paper knives, which is more than usual. However, the shop staff kindly informed customers when the product arrived. The package also includes a movie flyer. It seems that the product does not fully meet consumer needs, even though it has the potential to sell more.

I found a souvenir shop called "Okashi no Koume" at Hakata Station and was intrigued by a snack called Jindai Taiko, which comes in a gold box. I decided to purchase it for 162 yen. Inside the box, there was another wrapper... Upon opening it, it appeared to be a type of sweet bean jelly with mochi inside. It seems like mochi-filled sweets are common here. It's not something I usually eat, but it was interesting to try.

I received a gift of Jin Daiko, a traditional Japanese sweet made of mochi and sweet red bean paste. It's a famous confectionery from Kumamoto, known for its flavorful Hokkaido red bean paste wrapped in soft mochi. The unique drum shape is achieved through a patented paper canning method. The ingredients include sugar, Hokkaido red beans, malt sugar, rice flour, glucose syrup, agar, and salt. The taste is fresh and not too sweet, thanks to careful research and craftsmanship. Despite being a bit difficult to open and eat, it was quite delicious. Thank you for the meal.