Kinakobo: Classic Japanese Kinako Candy Sticks
Our country Japan has various treats made with Kinako (きなこ/きな粉) roasted soybean flour, which includes Genkotsu Ame and Kinako Mochi snacks.
And that also applies to Dagashi (駄菓子), the snack genre of cheap, unique, and relatively small Japanese snacks and candies marketed toward children.
Kinakobo (きなこ棒 : Kinako Stick)
When Japanese people think of Dagashi treats made with Kinako soy flour, what comes to many is probably Kinakobo (きなこ棒: meaning Kinako Stick), which I picked up today for this blog article.
Kinakobo is a long-loved Dagashi candy with a stick shape, and the one pictured above is from Yaokin (やおきん), the Japanese food company known for Umaibo (うまい棒).
Ingredients/Price
The Kinako stick, Kinako Bo, is a simple old-fashioned confection made from just a few ingredients.
This one from Yaokin only consists of Kinako flour, starch syrup, and sugar, and it was cheap, costing me 20 yen.
Features/Taste
Kinakobo is a soft, chewy, slightly sticky candy stick with a distinctively delicious flavor.
It has a gentle savory sweetness characteristic of Kinoko, whose taste brings back memories of my childhood because I used to enjoy it as a kid.
The Kinako candy stick is like a mix of Mizuame and roasted soy flour, so you can easily cut it into pieces with your hands.
Recipe
Image: cookpad.com
As mentioned above, Kinakobo is such a simple thing that the candy is also easy to make. And last, let me introduce a recipe from the Japanese site Cookpad.com.
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Honey | 200 grams |
| Kinako soybean flour | 100 grams |
| Toothpick | About 20 sticks |
- First, put the honey in a bowl and microwave it for 2 minutes.
- Then, add the Kinako powder to the bowl, stirring well with a spatula.
- When the mixture becomes as soft as an earlobe, form it into sticks in your palms.
- Then, skewer the Kinako sticks with toothpicks.
- As a finishing touch, sprinkle some additional Kinako over the entire surface.
- Now it is ready to eat. Enjoy the Kinakobo!
Thanks for the explanation and the photos 🙂 I’m just watching the anime Dagashi Kashi and had no idea what ‘Kinako sticks’ were. Now, thanks to your blog, I do 🙂 — And I’ve bookmarked your blog, as I’m fascinated with Everything Japanese, so will be reading more!
You are welcome! I’m very glad to hear that!