Trivia about Wasanbon | The Story of Wasanbon in Sanuki
This story centers around two characters: Mukaiyama Shukei, a doctor from Sanuki, and Seki Ryosuke, who came on the pilgrimage from Amami Oshima.
Once upon a time, during the Edo period, Japan was in a state of isolation, and sweet white sugar was hard to come by and very expensive.
The Tokugawa clan then implemented a policy to domestically produce sugar and encouraged sugar production throughout the country, and efforts began in Kagawa Prefecture to somehow produce sugar.
However, there was no sugar cane to make sugar.
Ryosuke Seki was on a pilgrimage from Amami Oshima. He fell ill during the pilgrimage and was saved by Shukei. Shukei was a doctor, so he nursed Ryosuke back to health, and thanks to his care, Ryosuke survived.
While caring for him, Shukei and Ryosuke talked about various things, including how Shukei had been appointed to grow sugar, but was in trouble because there was no sugarcane in Sanuki.
As the treatment progressed, Ryosuke's health improved and he decided to return to his hometown of Amami Oshima.
That's it! Sugarcane! Let's deliver this sugarcane from Amami Oshima to Shukei. That's what I thought.
However, sugar was very expensive at the time, and sugarcane, its raw material, was an important resource for the region, so it was forbidden to take it outside the domain, and breaking the law was a serious crime that could result in beheading.
Ryosuke hid the sugarcane in the bottom of his lunch box and transported it from Amami Oshima to Sanuki.
After much research, they succeeded in making sugar from sugarcane.
However, the resulting sugar was a bit brownish rather than white, and had a lot of impurities.
The finished sugar was transported to Osaka, the kitchen of the nation.
However, during the transport, the sugar on the cow's back fell into the river.
I quickly picked it up, and when I opened the sugar after arriving in Osaka, I was shocked to find that the sugar that I had dropped into the river had turned white, lost its impurity, and become sweet.
"If I soak it in water and then drain it, will it turn white?"
It is said that this is the story of how the current method of making Wasanbon was devised, but it is also said that the current method of making Wasanbon was established by making good use of such incidents and imitating the manufacturing method for sake.
The traditional processes of sharpening and pushing the tea into the pot were then repeated three times on a tray, which is how the name "Wasanbon" came to be.
In this way, Wasanbon has been loved in Kagawa for over 200 years.
We continue to make Wasanbon with all our heart so that many people will love it.
Sanuki's Wasanbon was born from the friendship between Shukei and Ryosuke.
I hope it continues like this for a long time to come.
The story of Wasanbon that you never knew before.
HIYORI also offers on-site workshops where participants can experience making wasanbon, complete with a picture storytelling show.
Please feel free to contact us.