# Akumaki

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{{Short description|Japanese confection}}
thumb|Akumaki
{{nihongo|'''Akumaki'''|あくまき||灰汁巻き}} is a Japanese-style confection, or ''[wagashi](/source/wagashi)'' made in [Kagoshima](/source/Kagoshima_Prefecture), [Miyazaki](/source/Miyazaki_Prefecture), and [Kumamoto Prefecture](/source/Kumamoto_Prefecture) during the [Boys’ Festival](/source/Children's_Day_(Japan)) on May 5.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-01-13|title=菓子類・その他|url=http://www.pref.kagoshima.jp/pr/gaiyou/tokusan/tokusan/kashi.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113143041/http://www.pref.kagoshima.jp/pr/gaiyou/tokusan/tokusan/kashi.html#1|archive-date=13 January 2010|access-date=2021-09-24|website=Kagoshima Prefecture}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Nawa|first=Karen Meiko|last2=Ishimura|first2=Shinnichi|date=2004-11-17|title=A Study on Japanese Traditional Sweets Wrapped in Natural Materials: The Relationship Between Japanese Contemporary Package Design and the Japanese Wrapping Culture.|url=https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2004/researchpapers/75|journal=DRS Biennial Conference Series}}</ref> It is more widely called chimaki in Japan, and are similar to, and historically originate from, Chinese [zongzi](/source/zongzi), traditionally eaten during the [Dragon boat festival](/source/Dragon_boat_festival).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://foodinjapan.org/japan/chimaki/| title=Chimaki (ちまき)| publisher=Food in Japan}}</ref>

== Preparation and consumption ==

{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2021}}

Akumaki is made by soaking [glutinous rice](/source/glutinous_rice) wrapped in [bamboo](/source/bamboo) leaves in [lye](/source/lye) overnight. Because it's slightly bitter, it's typically eaten with blended sugar and [toasted soybean flour](/source/Soy_flour) ''([kinako](/source/kinako))'', with a little salt or soaked in honey. It has an unusual flavor and is considered an [acquired taste](/source/acquired_taste).

== History ==

It is said that akumaki began as a long-term provision for [samurai](/source/samurai) during the [Battle of Sekigahara](/source/Battle_of_Sekigahara) (1600) or the [Japanese invasions of Korea](/source/Japanese_invasions_of_Korea_(1592%E2%80%931598)) (1592–1598). Also, [Saigō Takamori](/source/Saig%C5%8D_Takamori) (1821–1877) took akumaki as a nonperishable commodity to the battlefield during the [Satsuma Rebellion](/source/Satsuma_Rebellion) (1877). Akumaki became popular in the north of Miyazaki Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture due to that rebellion.

== Storage and distribution ==

It can be kept for about one week at normal temperature, for about two weeks in a refrigerator, and can also be frozen. Vacuum-packed akumaki can be found in many places as a souvenir, but it is usually a homemade confection. Recently, since the opening of the [Kyushu Shinkansen](/source/Kyushu_Shinkansen) train line, akumaki has attracted considerable attention as a slow food.{{clarification needed|date=February 2023}} Akumaki is sold in hotels of Kagoshima, [roadside station](/source/roadside_station)s ''(michi no eki)'', over the internet and in supermarkets throughout Kagoshima prefecture.

==See also==
* [Zongzi](/source/Zongzi)

== References==
<references />
Category:Wagashi

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Akumaki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akumaki) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akumaki?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.