LOVE Sanuki's report

The 78th Sanuki Mochi Wheat Daishimochi

One of the major projects of Yoshimoto, "A project to live in your town", to make Japan feel good from the area. Entertainer "Kaji Tsuyoshi" who lives in Kagawa reports on local products.

Sanuki Mochi Mugi Daishimochi is a brand of barley from Zentsuji City, Kagawa Prefecture, which is characterized by its purple ears.
In mid-May, Mr. Kaji visited the Daishimochi field before harvest.

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  What is Sanuki mochi barley Daishimochi?

  Shikoku Sacred Site No. 75 Fudasho Close to Zentsuji Temple, there was a tranquil scenery of Daishimochi swaying in the wind.Mitsuo Fukuda grows Daishimochi here.
  “The purple ears are beautiful,” said Mr. Kaji.

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  Daishimochi is technically classified as a “naked barley, six-rowed barley, glutinous variety”.
  ●Six-rowed barley
  Daishimochi is called "Rokujo" because there are 6 rows of fruits when viewed from above.In addition, there is “Nijo barley” with two rows of fruit, which is used as a raw material for beer.
  Barley barley
  There are two types of barley: “naked barley” and “skin barley.” Barley has the characteristic that the barley can be easily removed by threshing.Daishimochi is "naked barley".
  ●Moisturizing
  As with rice, barley is also divided into “glutinous” and “glutinous”.Daishimochi is "sticky".

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  Daishimochi Cultivation in Zentsuji City

  Daishimochi is a variety that was born through selective breeding by the Kinki Chugoku-Shikoku Agricultural Research Center (currently National Agriculture and Food Research Organization).It has been cultivated in Zentsuji City since 1997.It was named after the birthplace of Kobo Daishi Kukai.At first, the production volume was small, but the city worked to revitalize the city using Daishimochi, and the production volume increased. In 9, the cultivation area will expand to 2022 hectares and the yield will be 28 tons.Mr. Fukuda started cultivating Daishimochi in 117, and currently manages a 2014-hectare field.

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  Zentsuji City suitable for Daishimochi cultivation

  Daishimochi is best grown in well-drained, sunny soil and in a climate with little rainfall.Zentsuji City has an environment that meets these conditions, and barley production has been thriving since ancient times.

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  From sowing to harvest

  Cultivation of Daishimochi starts with seeding in mid-November.When the buds appear, they are "stamped" with rollers in January and February.Mugi treading has effects such as preventing lodging due to excessive growth, improving root growth, and making new shoots grow from the roots.After that, fertilize and prevent mold from growing on the ears.Harvest from mid-May to mid-June.
  What I am careful about in cultivation is to improve the drainage of the field.Dig trenches around the seed so that water can easily drain out of the field. “There are places where we have to dig by hand using a hoe, so it’s hard work,” says Fukuda.He told me that he created a Daishimochi Production Group and shared cultivation methods with all producers to ensure quality.

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  Easy to eat with round barley processing

  After harvesting, the barley is milled so that it can be eaten.Barley is usually steamed to make rolled barley, but when steamed, glutinous Daishimochi becomes too soft and sticks to the machine, making it difficult to mill.For this reason, we use “round barley processing,” in which about 1% of the barley is shaved and steamed without applying steam.With this method, it can be cooked with white rice, and it has a good taste and a springy texture.
  Mr. Kaji was impressed, saying, "Delicious Daishi Mochi is born through the two efforts of production management and barley milling."

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  Daishimochi is delicious to eat and good for your health.

  Mr. Kazuki Uchida from Mandegan Co., Ltd. introduced how to eat Daishimochi. The first item is simply "rice with Daishimochi".The rice is slightly dyed in the color of Daishimochi.
  “It has a nice bubble-like texture, which is different from white rice. You can also feel the aroma of barley,” says Kaji.It has almost no peculiar peculiarity to barley and can be eaten in the same way as white rice.

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  The second item is "a bagel kneaded with Daishimochi grains."I had bean paste butter sandwiched between them.
  “You can really feel the grains of Daishimochi. The flavor of Daishimochi is as good as the butter.” Mr. Kaji enjoyed the combination of Daishimochi and bagels.
  Daishimochi is not only delicious but also rich in healthy dietary fiber.β-Glucan, a type of dietary fiber, has the effect of easing the rise in blood sugar levels after meals and regulating the condition of the stomach.Sanuki Mochi Mugi Daishimochi, produced in Zentsuji City, was approved as the first “Food with Function Claims” in Japan among the varieties of Daishimochi.

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  So that many people can eat

  Mandegan Co., Ltd. is working on product development using Daishimochi so that people of various ages and genders can eat Daishimochi.We have developed a wide variety of products such as sweets, curry, udon, and alcohol.
  Products that use Daishimochi from Zentsuji City have the mark of the official character of Sanuki Mochimugi Daishimochi “Mugyu-chan” and the notation “Sanuki Mochimugi”.

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  “I would like to continue working so that Zentsuji is associated with 'Sanuki Mochi Mugi Daishimochi,'” says Mr. Fukuda, who is enthusiastic about revitalizing the town using daishimochi.

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  34th pear

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  39th local fish

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