History of Daifuku

Daifuku is one of japan’s most popular confectionary varieties, and is enjoyed by people of all ages, throughout the seasons. Its origins can be traced back to the early edo period and the famously filling harabuto-mochi, which was slightly larger in size than the daifuku we know today. The name ‘harabuto’ roughly translates to ‘fat belly’, and reflects the way in which it kept people full for a long time after eating – a characteristic still shared by modern daifuku. The main ingredients of daifuku are rice, azuki beans and sugar.

They are wellbalanced nutritionally, with the rice supplying lots of minerals and calcium and the azuki beans being packed full of fibre. originally people only made daifuku at home, for themselves and their family, but following an explosion of popularity in the edo period, these sweets started to be sold in confectioners in their smaller, modern form. although the original daifuku recipe is still very popular, the range has grown over time to incorporate many different flavours and ingredients such as fruits, nuts and recently even an ice-cream filling that’s very popular with young people!