July 11, 2015

Onsen Manju of Shosendo at Nozawa Onsen/野沢温泉、松泉堂の温泉まんじゅう

Just wanted to share the onsen manju given to us from my father-in-law.
義理の父から頂いた温泉まんじゅうをお見せします。
Onsen means hot spring, and Nozawa Onsen is a famous hot-spring resort area located in Nagano prefecture. Shosendo is one of the many Japanese-style confectioners there.
温泉とはhot springのことで、野沢温泉は、長野県にある有名な温泉地です。松泉堂(しょうせんどう)は、そこにある多くの和菓子店の一つです。
Koshian (bean jam with skin removed)
こしあんです。
This particular brand is spelled 温泉まんう, not 温泉まんじゅう, which is more common. I did some googling, trying it find out why, but in vain.
このまんじゅうは、「温泉まんじゅう」ではなく、「温泉まんぢう」という名前です。ちょっとググってみましたが、なぜか分かりませんでした。

4 comments:

Twilight Man said...

They look very delicious! I would love to eat them with my coffee.

Hiroyuki said...

Twilight Man: Well, as for me, I want to have them with green tea.

okasan said...

美味しそう!!Although it is written as温泉まんぢう, you still pronounce as 温泉まんじゅう(饅頭)? Probably that's how it was written in old days and traditions are being passed down. Maybe you can find out from the shop owner. It will be interesting to know why it is written this way.

Hiroyuki said...

okasan: You are probably right. I think it's pronounced exactly the same way as manju, but I can never be sure.

I did some googling once again, found one site that may be appropriate:
http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1023758080
It says, among others, that まんぢう is a mistake, it was used even in the Edo period, but a mistake is a mistake.