Monaka

Monaka
TypeWagashi
Place of originJapan
Main ingredientsMochi, azuki bean paste

Monaka (最中) is a Japanese sweet made of azuki bean paste sandwiched between two thin crisp wafers made from mochi. The wafers can have the shape of a square, a triangle, or may be shaped like cherry blossoms, chrysanthemums, local landmarks, daruma, or other good luck symbols.

Monaka is a type of dessert—wagashi—which is served with tea. There are still many very famous monaka specialty stores in Japan. The azuki bean paste filling in monaka can contain sesame seeds, chestnuts,[1] or rice cake (mochi).

Five-layered monaka depicting Himeji Castle (Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, photographed in April 2022)
Choco Monaka Jumbo
  1. ^ "Where to Find Wagashi in NYC 2018". Tasting Table. 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2021-09-19.