I bought amber, fragrant fish, and shinsei beans in early summer. The gem-like amber looks beautiful, with a crunchy texture and a citrusy flavor. The fragrant fish has a refined sweetness that pairs well with the Yamato potato. The shinsei beans have a addictive seaweed flavor and you can eat as many as you want.

Shinsei Mame is made by roasting black beans in a unique way, then coating them with honey and soybean flour. It is a round semi-sweet confection about 1.5cm in diameter, sprinkled with finely ground seaweed at the end. When you bite into one, you'll experience the soft texture of the black beans blending with the soybean flour. It's a taste that truly captures the essence of Japanese cuisine.

I tried a summer specialty wagashi called "ayu" in Kyoto. It looks just like grilled ayu fish, so I couldn't resist picking it up. Inside, there is a special sweet red bean paste with a hint of seaweed fragrance, while the surface is covered with plenty of Yamato potato and wasanbon sugar. The sugar on top looks like salt from grilled fish. It was a lovely treat! Thank you!

I received this as a gift from a Kyoto wagashi shop. Their specialty seems to be "Shinsei Mame." The "Kuri Manju" has poppy seeds at the bottom to mimic the appearance of a chestnut. Inside is white bean paste, which I love! There was also a chestnut inside. It was quite delicious with a good amount of filling.

At the Charcoal Inn, I was served a freshly made matcha tea along with a Wagashi called Mashumame. The Wagashi resembled a ball of seaweed, with a center made of roasted black beans from Tanba, layered with soybean flour and coated with nori seaweed on the outside. The texture was chewy and soft, with a complex flavor of beans. I purchased it from Charcoal Inn, and the note mentioned that it was highly praised by Toyotomi Hideyoshi as a perfect match for tea. It's a Wagashi that can be enjoyed even without matcha.

-The first sunrise at the water's edge, cranes, turtles, Red and White, daffodils, red plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, biwa (Japanese lute), irises, hydrangeas, fireflies, Chinese lantern plants, autumn chrysanthemums, persimmons, autumn leaves, ginkgo nuts, camellias, snow huts, and fresh Japanese sweets. -Shinsai beans: Moss-covered sweet beans. Passed down from the Nishikata Nunnery. Made with Tanba black beans mixed with sugar syrup and yellow powder, finished with green seaweed. -Kougyo: Anko (sweet red bean paste) scented with seaweed wrapped in a sweet potato and wasanbon sugar-based rakugan, sprinkled with sugar. -Kyoto no Matoi: Soft rakugan made with large candied chestnuts and grain anko. -Chojin no Kurimanju: Chestnut bun from Chojamachi Street. A whole chestnut is wrapped in white anko, shaped, and baked. -Suhama/Matcha Suhama: A bean-shaped confection made by kneading Suhamako flour and sugar with water candy./Coated with matcha to resemble tea seeds. -I like wasanbon. I ordered Shinsai beans and Suhama. When I first saw Shinsai beans, I thought they were marimo (a type of algae). I cannot order fresh sweets to be delivered to Tokyo.

In the area beyond the 2nd street to the west of the post office in Shimo-Osaka-cho Horikawa, there is a confectionery called Shinsei Mame. This treat, created by the founder of the Tendai Shinsei sect, Shinsei Shonin, has been well received by my friends who enjoy tea ceremonies when they visit Kyoto. Despite its popularity, many people in Tokyo, including my partner, are not familiar with it. I learned about it recently from someone in the Horikawa shopping district. Originally devised by Shinsei Shonin, the Shinsei Mame was highly praised by Hideyoshi at the Kitano Daisai tea ceremony in 1587, with Hosokawa Yusai likening it to "moss-covered beans." The first generation of Kanaya Masahiro, who was allowed to enter and exit the Nishikata Nunnery in Kitano Nana Ken where the manufacturing technique was passed down, further improved the confectionery with permission. It is a genuine Kyoto treat with no additives, featuring black beans from Tanba at its core, surrounded by kinako, and coated with seaweed on the outside, allowing you to enjoy different flavors in each layer. In addition to Shinsei Mame, they also sell Rakugan and manju, which can be purchased online as well.

On June 2, 2019, I had the dish "Shinsei Mame" and "Kougyo" at a restaurant. "Shinsei Mame" is a selected delicacy from Kyoto, originating from the main temple of the Tendai Shinsei sect on Mt. Hiei in Sakamoto. The founder, the saintly monk Shinsei from the Muromachi period, created black beans coated with vegetable leaves and salt to comfort the practitioners of the Nembutsu practice and shared it with visitors. The nuns Morihisa and Morihiro, founders of Nishikyogoku Nishihonganji Temple in Nakano Ushichiken Shinsei-cho, were disciples of Shinsei and passed down the recipe for Shinsei Mame through generations at their temple. In the 15th year of the Tenbun era, when Sen no Rikyu attended the Kitano Daichakai tea ceremony, he praised the Shinsei Mame served to Toyotomi Hideyoshi as suitable for tea, and his companion Hosokawa Yusai likened it to "moss-covered beans." The first generation of Kanaya Masahiro, who was allowed to enter and exit Nishikyogoku Nishihonganji Temple in Nakano Ushichiken, was taught the recipe for Shinsei Mame by the temple's head nun, Shinzui. In the early Meiji era, he refined and improved the recipe to create it as a famous confectionery.

The price is 330 yen.

"Azuki no Kohaku" by Kanaya Masahiro is a Japanese confectionery made of agar and sugar. Its transparent appearance resembles a jewel, with red beans inside. The combination of the crispy surface and soft interior creates a delightful texture, while the elegant and gentle flavor spreads in your mouth. This sweet treat is best enjoyed with matcha tea. ✨

It is a traditional famous confectionery that I haven't had since I was a child. Last month, I had it at a shop in Kyoto and thought, "Delicious!" It made me feel like I had grown up. The combination of sweetness and the flavor of seaweed goes well with matcha and houjicha. Just one piece is enough to make me happy. I wanted to see the actual shop, so I went to buy it. A young male craftsman who was a little younger than me served me politely. I felt like I got a good deal. The confectionery is called "Shinsei Mame" and has been passed down through generations at a temple in Kyoto. It is made of roasted black beans from Tanba, layered with soybean flour, and topped with seaweed. Enjoy the elegant taste of "Shinsei Mame." Established in 1856 by Kanaya Masahiro.

I visited GW. This time, my purpose was to eat the famous traditional Japanese sweets in Kyoto, and I had decided on one particular sweet from the beginning. That was "Shinsei Mame". I had heard that the green coating around it was made of seaweed, and I was curious about its taste. It turned out that there were only two shops that made it, one being Takahama Yoshiharu and the other being Kanaya Masahiro. Unfortunately, Kanaya Masahiro was closed on the day I planned to visit. So I called Takahama Yoshiharu, but they were also closed. Disappointed, I decided to try calling Kanaya Masahiro as a last resort. Luckily, they were open and welcomed me warmly. The shop was located on a calm street where you could feel the everyday life of ordinary people in Kyoto. The owner kindly shared some stories with me, mentioning that their shop has been around since the Edo period. I purchased "Shinsei Mame" and "Suhaman". The taste of "Shinsei Mame" was exquisite, with the aroma of seaweed and the texture of black beans creating a unique flavor. "Suhaman" was a simple sweet made from soybean flour, which I enjoyed at Togetsukyo Bridge. Both sweets were delicious and I could feel the long history of Kyoto's confectionery culture. I hope these shops continue for many more centuries to come.

I stopped by here as I was in the neighborhood. It's located a little west of Horikawa in Shimonagashacho, all by itself. I looked it up and it seems like it was established in the third year of Ansei. It's a shop that was opened during the tumultuous times of the end of the Edo period. When I had tea at Murinan in the summer, I tried their Shinsei beans and they were delicious, so I decided to buy a bag of them. When you break open the coated beans with seaweed, you find a sweet red bean paste inside, with large roasted Tamba black beans in the middle. I asked the shopkeeper and they said these beans are also sold at Kyoto Station. They are light, have a good shelf life, and they go perfectly with fragrant tea. This place is quite famous in Kyoto, but surprisingly has few reviews. There are delicious traditional sweets that are not well known, so be sure to pick some up as souvenirs.

I bought some sweets at the souvenir sweets section of Kyoto Station. I realized I missed out on buying Uemura Yoshitsugu's Suhama sweets. When I got back, I was thinking of slowly enjoying some sweets, and I could only think of "Kasugano Mame" as an option. I looked around and found a similar product as an alternative. The product is called "Suhama," shaped like a soybean the size of a man's thumb. The ingredients are soybean flour, sugar, corn syrup, and food coloring. When I tried it, it tasted like solid yellow powder, just as the ingredients list suggests. The bean shape is well made, and the size is subtly larger than expected. It probably lasts about two weeks. I wonder which tea it would go well with. Surprisingly, I think it would pair well with Chinese tea rather than green tea. ************************* After looking into the store, I found out that the "Shinsei Mame" sweets are famous, and they are also served at Murin-an. I should have had them before, so I searched for a picture (from 2012). This is also a sweet made mostly of soybean flour. A bowl of tea during the May rain, with both the garden and sweets covered in moss.

"Shinsei Mame" is a long-established Japanese confectionery store. Although the registered character "廣" may seem different, the store was founded in 1856 during the Ansei era. My hometown, Uzumasa, is proud of being a movie town, but it also boasts the oldest temple in Kyoto, "Koryu-ji." When people talk about the old days, I sometimes jokingly say, "Uzumasa has been around since before Heian-kyo was built." While it's not always true that older is better, in Kyoto, bragging about the age of things can be a winning topic. That being said, the history of "Shinsei Mame" dates back to the time of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Visuals of the confection resemble moss-covered spherical balls. A few days ago, when I posted about "Niku Niku Udon" in Ikebukuro, I mentioned that whether chikuwa tempura with seaweed goes well with sweet broth is a matter of personal preference. This "Shinsei Mame" has seaweed sprinkled around it, but it tastes sweet when eaten. Despite its appearance, it may seem sweeter than expected. Inside, roasted black beans from Tanba are layered with soybean flour. While I don't know how Hideyoshi felt about the confection during the Kitano Daichakai in 1587, it is a bean confection meant to be enjoyed with tea. When eaten as is, it may seem sweeter compared to the one from "Takehama Yoshiharu." Many temples in Kyoto serve this "Shinsei Mame," often accompanying matcha. It is also certified in the "Kyoto Gourmet Selection" by the Governor of Kyoto Prefecture. Whether it suits modern tastes is a matter of personal preference, but why not try it once? Although I visited the store a long time ago, I occasionally buy it when returning to Kyoto. It is also available at department stores and around Kyoto Station. (By Kyonatsushukū, 2015.9.26) (9 reviews/3.07, 2018.3.7)

Established in the third year of the Ansei era (1856), Kanaya Masahiro's "Shinsei Mame" is a must-try sweet in Kyoto. Located on the narrow street of Shimochosha, this small shop is known for its traditional black beans coated in layers of soybean flour and sprinkled with seaweed. The beans are sourced from Tanba and are the largest available. This treat, once praised by Toyotomi Hideyoshi for its compatibility with tea, is now a popular souvenir in Kyoto. Despite its modest size, the shop has a long history and has been attracting customers since it was featured on television last year. Highly recommended for both personal enjoyment and as a gift for friends and family.

I purchased the Masamori Mame Japanese paper-style bag with gold leaf design by Masahiro Kanaya for takeout. Masamori Mame is a traditional Japanese sweet made by layering roasted Tanba black beans with soybean flour and sprinkling seaweed on top. The combination of black beans, soybean flour, and seaweed was excellent (*ﾟ▽ﾟ*) It is best enjoyed with strong tea (such as Gyokuro or Sencha). I quickly devoured more than half of it (・∀・) It has a good shelf life, making it a great souvenir or a treat to enjoy at home. You can purchase it at department stores or online, but if you visit the actual store by car, I recommend parking at the coin parking lot on the south side after turning west on Horikawa Shimonaga-cho (which is a one-way street). They will deduct the parking fee from your purchase (*´∀｀*) ※The road is quite narrow, so it's better to go by a small car (~ω~；)))

Today, I received a special order of Kyoto-style sweets. The red bean paste was very elegant, the rakugan was soft, and there were chunks of chestnuts in it. It was a delicious treat that goes well with any kind of tea. Today, I enjoyed it with jasmine tea.

I wanted to try the famous confectionery "Shinsei Mame" that was introduced by the person next to Yoi Don, so I clicked and ordered it. Among them, I tried the "Chouja no Kurimanju" which had a whole chestnut inside. The chestnut was big and the white bean paste had an elegant taste. It goes well with green tea too.

Carryover from last year. On the Takashimaya Kyoto flight. When making a reservation, I didn't see many traditional sweets shops, so I searched and found out that it was a famous shop for "Shinsei Mame." Ah, I've seen this before. It's a sweet with soybeans inside. This time, I bought some of their traditional sweets. The concept is interesting. It's a collaboration with the Kyocera Museum (or Museum Cafe), where they select one artwork each season and create traditional sweets inspired by that artwork. There were 4 popular items on the Kyoto flight. Since I couldn't see the artwork in person this time, they included a QR code. - Toya (Akiyo Niwa) - White bean paste. The artwork is an interesting painting of a woman in a yellow dress shooting an arrow. The sweet itself is moist yet smooth. Delicious. - Kokonokuni (Suiho Nishiyama) - Hawthorn bean paste. Inspired by a Chinese celestial maiden, they used hawthorn. The hawthorn fruit in the paste gives a unique sweet and slightly sour taste. - Itosankoisan (Tsutomu Kitano) - Sweet bean paste with sweet potato. The artwork is of two sisters from an Osaka merchant family, represented by black and white sweet potatoes. The contrast is shown with red clogs and red sweet potato sprinkles. The link to the artwork is very clear in this one. The sweet bean paste is strong yet has a great melt-in-your-mouth texture. - Kangeki (Sakutani Kijima) - Yuzu peel bean paste. Inspired by a clear snowy landscape. The amount of yuzu peel is just right, not overpowering the smoothness. The balance of sweetness and freshness is perfect and delicious. The shop is now run by the sixth generation, and I can feel the new energy brought by the change in generation. By the way, the Doraemon exhibition sweet was not a dorayaki but a blue sweet paste with a hint of gold powder. Most people probably visit this shop for Shinsei Mame or Suhamo, but trying these traditional sweets inspired by the Kyocera Museum's artworks shows that their wagashi are equally delicious. I would love to try them again. It was a little surprising and moving.