A carp flying high above the roof! May 5th is Children's Day and Boys' Festival. On Boys' Festival, people usually eat "kashiwa mochi" to pray for the healthy growth of children, but in Hokkaido, they eat "beko mochi." In this article, we will introduce the origins of beko mochi.

Originally, there was a local sweet called "Kujira Mochi" in Yamagata Prefecture, which was brought to Hokkaido and evolved independently into its current form (there are various theories), and as a result, in some areas in southern Hokkaido, Beko Mochi is still called Kujira Mochi.

In Hokkaido, they are primarily known as items that appear during the Boys' Festival, but they are also commonly seen as offerings during the equinox, New Year's, and on other ceremonial occasions such as weddings and funerals.

The typical Hokkaido bekomochi is black and white and shaped like a leaf, but there are many variations in shape, and there is even a cow-shaped bekomochi!

Since there is a type of bekomochi that is shaped like a cow, many people think that the name comes from "beko," which means cow, due to the black and white color scheme, but there are also several other theories about the origin of the name, including that the part mixed with the brown sugar looks like a tortoiseshell pattern.

By the way, the method of making it is to add water and sugar to rice flour, knead it, put it in a wooden mold, form it, and steam it to finish. There is also a theory that the name comes from the rice flour (beiko) that it is made from. Bekomochi, which has a chewy texture and a gentle sweetness that makes you feel nostalgic, can be purchased at supermarkets and Japanese sweets shops in Hokkaido for about 100 to 130 yen per piece.

"Bekomochi" is a common sight in Hokkaido. If you have never tried it, be sure to give it a try when you visit Hokkaido!