Jambo Mochi
A delightful treat enjoyed all year round

About Jambo Mochi

Jambo Mochi (じゃんぼ餅, Jambo mochi) is a beloved traditional dish from Kagoshima Prefecture. It features freshly pounded mochi or glutinous rice flour dumplings skewered on two sticks and drizzled with a thick, sweet soy sauce glaze. The name "Jambo Mochi" is written as "両棒餅," which directly translates to "two-stick mochi."

This dish has a long history dating back to Japan's Nanboku-cho period (14th century). According to legend, when Kanenaga (Kaneyoshi) Prince, son of Emperor Go-Daigo, stayed at Taniyama Castle in Kagoshima, the local lord Taniyama Takanobu prepared mochi on two skewers and topped it with a sauce made from miso and simmered brown sugar. When asked the name of the dish, the lord spontaneously replied, "Ryo-bo" ("two sticks").

During the Edo period, Jambo Mochi was presented as an offering to the Shimazu clan, the rulers of the Satsuma Domain, and from there, it spread to the Iso area, becoming a much-loved specialty of Kagoshima.

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