Makigaki Dried Persimmon Rolls - Traditional Foods in Japan | Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

KumamotoMakigaki Dried Persimmon Rolls

Classification (Large)

Agricultural products

Classification (Small)

Other processed agricultural products

Main ingredients used

Persimmon

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Region of inheritance

Kamimashiki District, Uki area

Product overview (special characteristics and types)

Makigaki Dried Persimmon Rolls are a preserved food that is made by drying persimmons that are harvested in the fall. They are made from late fall to the end of December. Dried persimmons are opened and the bark of bamboo and woven straw are used to bind them into a roll. When sliced thinly, the cross-section reveals beautiful layers of light caramel and white from the dried persimmon and fruit sugar powder, akin to the layers of a rose.
The careful wrapping of the persimmons with the bamboo bark and woven straw exudes rustic beauty, and the unique flavor of dried persimmons and their natural sweetness resemble that of luxury Japanese sweets.

History and culture

Kamimashiki District and the Uki area are famous for producing dried persimmons. They were made as a preserved food, and in the past, it was a common sight to see strings of dried persimmons hanging under the eaves of houses. Partly homophonous with the Japanese phrase “drawing fortune closer,” Makigaki Dried Persimmon Rolls are given as end-of-year gifts, served in celebratory New Year food as a representation of luck, and also served to guests as refreshments to be had with tea.
Makigaki Dried Persimmon Rolls are made by wrapping the dried persimmons in bamboo bark and straw, through which their moisture- and insect-repellent properties are heightened. The sight of Makigaki Dried Persimmon Rolls being made have become a poetic seasonal representation of December.

Production method

Nayaboshi, an astringent persimmon that is a local specialty, is dried and shaped while being hand-rolled about three times before a white powder (fruit sugar) is blown upon its surface to finish making the dried persimmons. The stem and the tip of each dried persimmon are then cut, and a slit is then made in its side to open it up and carefully remove its pit. Ten of these opened up dried persimmons are stacked upon each other before they are wrapped in bamboo bark and straw, after which string is tightly wound around this bundle until it is completely enveloped. The wrapping of the straw, the winding of the string, and the type of knots tied differ from maker to maker. An indication of whether or not the binding process went well is when the bundle is cut into round slices and it reveals a rose-like cross-section, due to the white powder (fruit sugar) that is blown onto the surface of the persimmon and the light caramel color of the persimmon flesh alternating with one another.

Conservation and succession efforts

At high schools in Kamimashiki District’s Yamato Town, the Makigaki Dried Persimmon Rolls Department of the Kamimashiki Agricultural Cooperative teach students how to make the rolls through hands-on workshops. As of now (January 2023), the workshops are suspended due to the spread of COVID-19. Makigaki Dried Persimmon Rolls are mainly sold at local Michi no Eki roadside rest stops.

Main consumption method

To show off the aesthetics of the rolled-up pattern, it is cut into round slices. It is also eaten along with foods like cream cheese and ham, as a pairing with alcoholic beverages.