Fugashi: Classic Japanese Dried Wheat Gluten Snack

by Tomo · Published May 22, 2017 · Updated May 16, 2022

Fu (麩) is a traditional Japanese food, similar to a piece of bread, made from wheat gluten, commonly used in miso soup.

The dried wheat gluten cake has a long history, transmitted from China about 700 years ago.

In Japan, from around the Edo period (Edo: 1603 to 1868), the food has been an ingredient for snacks,

and what I introduce here, Fu-Gashi (麩菓子), is one of the representatives.

Fugashi (麩菓子)

Fugashi is a classic Dagashi (駄菓子) snack that has been around since 1949, and now, several confectionery companies are producing it.

As the Dagashi treat is cheap, usually sold for several dozen yen at supermarkets, it is loved particularly by children.

As its name indicates, the main ingredient is Fu, whose entire surface is coated with brown sugar syrup and dried.

Fugashi mostly comes in a stick shape, where the brown sugar coating has a savory sweetness, while the inner part is light and crisp like a baguette.

Fugashi can be eaten as it is. But there is a recommended way to enjoy it.

The method, which became a popular topic on the internet before, is simply frying the snack with some butter.

When heated, the outer sugar coating melts, and the snack becomes like french toast and goes well with vanilla ice cream.

Lastly, let me introduce an easy Fugashi recipe using a common type of Fu called Mochi-Fu (もちふ) for people interested.

The recipe is from Japanese cookpad.com, and I translated it into English.

Put the water and brown sugar in a pan, and heat it on low heat. Note: don’t stir the liquid while heating, or it will be clumpy.
Once the mixture becomes viscous, stop heating the pan.
Then, add the Mochi-Fu and coat with the sauce.
Transfer the cooked Mochi-Fu to a plate, and let the surface dry naturally for a while.
If the dried surface is sticky, coat it with additional brown sugar.
Enjoy Fugashi!