Even if you don't know the name "Yamasa Renka Mochi Honpo," many people may be impressed by the name "Renka Mochi." It is a bite-sized rice cake snack that has been around for a long time in the brick town of Ebetsu. Let's take a look at the other snacks as well as the Renka Mochi. They are all somehow nostalgic! It has been around for a long time... but if we look back at its history, we find that Renka Mochi was born in as far back as 1901 (Meiji 34). It was born from the idea that "tiles are inedible, but if tiles transform into something edible, they might be edible." That's why it's written as "renka" instead of "renga"! The retro packaging is cute, but the recipe hasn't changed since the shop first opened. It's made with 100% Hokkaido glutinous rice and Tokachi red beans, giving it a gentle sweetness. They're also delicious warm, and you'll likely find yourself popping two or three in a row into your mouth. Well, the manufacturer, "Yamasa Renka Mochi Honpo," also makes many other sweets, so let's introduce a few of them. First up is "Ebetsu Manju." It has a longer history than Renka Mochi, and is surprising to know that it has been made since 1885. It is made using traditional methods, and each one is hand-made to give it a browned finish, and its soft texture will tickle your nostalgia. Like renka mochi, there are other brick-shaped sweets. One of them is "Renga walnut mochi." The mochi is accented with the texture of walnuts and is covered with plenty of kinako (roasted soybean flour). Walnuts and kinako go surprisingly well together! Here is another brick-shaped sweet. "Noborigama" is a sweet that looks just like a kiln made of stacked bricks. It has a cute, round appearance, but is quite filling. We also picked out some slightly unusual sweets. "Jubei Watashibune" is not only a manju with almonds on top, but also a novel combination of coconut-flavored white bean paste wrapped in cocoa dough. This is surprisingly good. The sweets from Yamasa Renka Mochi Honpo have a nostalgic taste, and each one is associated with the local climate and history of Ebetsu and Nopporo. It might be nice to think about those places while enjoying the delicious treats. <Yamasa Renka Mochi Honpo Co., Ltd.> Address: 8-4 Nopporocho, Ebetsu City, Hokkaido Phone: 011-385-9689