Japanese Food

In Japanese, the word momiji usually refers to the leaves of the maple trees in Japan. A popular symbol representing autumn, it should come as no surprise to hear that the Japanese snack on…wait, what? Are people eating leaves? Also, isn’t this article being written in late winter?! Okay, no one is actually eating leaves here. However, residents of Hiroshima would be remiss if they missed the iconic leaf-shaped snacks here before up and leaving. Visitors should also take the chance to branch out and try new regional experiences! You Wanted to Make Tree Puns, Didn’t You? Stick it out, and you will learn more about local snacks and places to buy them! While many visitors to Japan quickly become acquainted with manju (Link for the uninitiated), the fractured and distinct nature of the various Japanese regions has given rise to many local variations. The momiji manjū is a regional snack that dates back to the late Meiji era and traditionally used anko, the Japanese sweet red bean paste that is nearly ubiquitous in Japanese sweets. It is important to note that you will not actually be eating leaves, as the momiji manju is made using buckwheat and rice cake. The distinction here…