Taki no Yakimochi (Grilled Rice Cakes)

These traditional treats have been in production for more than 400 years. Local lore holds that the first lord of Tokushima, Hachisuka Iemasa (1558–1638), enjoyed taki no yakimochi and was presented with some to commemorate the completion of Tokushima Castle in 1586. Local spring water has been used for centuries to cook the adzuki beans for the rice cakes. Vendors take small balls of dough made from stone-ground rice flour, fill them with sweet-bean paste, then flatten them on the griddle with a chrysanthemum-patterned mold. The cakes are lightly grilled until crisp. Several shops around Mt. Bizan continue to produce the sweets in this time-honored way.