Amajudo has been operating in the town of Sutou since the beginning of the Taisho Era. Their signature product, "Ebitaro," looks like a side dish. It makes you want to eat it with white rice, but to your surprise, it is actually a confectionary. We paid a visit to Amajudo and asked them about it.

Amajudo was originally a rice cracker store that served fishermen. It has been a favorite of the locals for quite a long time.

The signature product, "Ebitaro" (135 yen per piece including tax), was created in 1962, making it quite a long-selling item as well. It is said that the idea came from seeing fried prawns in the kitchen.

I see, that's why it looks like fried food. The crispy batter, which is deep-fried one by one by hand, is filled with white bean paste. It might be easier to understand if you call it a crispy batter and white bean paste version of an an doughnut. The bite-size pieces make it easy to overindulge!

The batter becomes more moist as time goes by, and some people prefer it to freshly fried doughnuts. Another signature item of Amajudo is "Kitaguni no Kumasan monaka" (150 yen per piece including tax).

The cute design is reminiscent of a carved wooden bear. It looks almost too good to eat, but the inside is filled with smooth white bean paste and has a gentle flavor.

It is a very typical Hokkaido product, and would make a great souvenir. Sakura Mochi" is also a popular item that is sold for a limited time every year from February to April and has many local fans.

It is a Kanto style sakura mochi, which is rare in Hokkaido, made by melting wheat flour and baking one piece at a time, then filling the dough with red bean paste. Normally sold in packages of five for 570 yen including tax, but only when there is a half-sample available are they also sold in packages of three for 342 yen including tax. On weekends only, they are also sold at a nearby hot spring facility, Yubetsu no Yu, and are said to be well received by the hot spring guests.

The store is located along Route 229 and is marked by a yellow Ebitaro sign. If you visit Sutou, be sure to stop by. You will be greeted by sweets with a mysterious charm that will make you want to try them again.

＜Amajudo
Location: 56-3 Shin-ei-cho, Sutsu-cho, Sutsu-gun, Hokkaido
Phone: 0136-62-2113
Business hours: 9:00-19:00
Closed: Sunday and irregular holidays
(Photo by Katsu laufen)