Located right beside Kyoto’s iconic Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Sawaya is a Japanese confectionery shop with over three hundred years of history. The shop only makes one kind of sweet, Awamochi dumplings.
Awamochi is a simple Japanese sweet composed of dough made from foxtail millet that is coated in red bean paste or soybean flour.
The fragrant foxtail millet and the softness of the dough combine wonderfully with the refined sweetness of the red bean paste and soybean flour.
Although simple, the flavor is profound and full of history.
Awamochi is never pre-made, but are made by the proprietor after customers place their order from fresh dough pounded several times a day. Customers are always able to eat superb, freshly-made Awamochi.
Sawaya’s technique and flavor have been passed down continuously from one generation of family to the next, and the store is well known by locals.