Japanese chestnuts are produced in a variety of different regions across the country, including Ibaraki, Kumamoto, and Ehime. The Ena region of Gifu prefecture, which covers Nakatsugawa city and Ena city, only produces a small volume of chestnuts, but they’re very high-quality and are known as Ena-guri.
This region is also home to a traditional local confectionery known as kuri-kinton—chestnuts cooked in sugar and wrapped in cloth. These are not to be confused with the sticky “kuri-kinton” that are served at New Year. Once fall arrives, kuri-kinton can be found in many Japanese confectionery stores.
This is a luxury product made using the ultimate high-brand chestnuts—Chotokusen Ena-guri!
I decide to try some of these kuri-kinton. The high quality chestnuts used are produced under strict cultivation and soil requirements and meet shipping conditions!
As I open the delicate wrapping...
Inside is a kuri-kinton shaped like a chestnut!
Cooked without water, using just chestnuts and a small amount of sugar, each of these carefully-made kuri-kinton have their own unique and adorable shapes.
They melt in the mouth, and my mouth is instantly filled with the taste and aroma of chestnuts. As I savor the rich, refined flavor of this fresh autumn sweet, I find myself smiling happily.
As well as the confectionery shop shown above, there are a lot of other stores in Nakatsugawa city and Ena city. If you’re in the neighborhood at this time of year, how about stopping by for some luxurious autumn flavors and a taste of the Ena region?
Information
Enakawakamiya
http://www.enakawakamiya.co.jp
Kuri-kinton are on sale from early September to mid-January. They keep for three days.
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