Manjū

Manjū are small round confections made from a wrapper of wheat flour, rice flour or buckwheat dough, often leavened, wrapped around a center of anko, sweetened azuki bean paste. They are steamed or baked, and some are stamped with a seal or flavored with sake, brown sugar or green tea.

Manjū belong to the wagashi family of traditional Japanese sweets and are often served with green tea. The confection is generally traced to Chinese steamed buns brought to Japan centuries ago. Many regions and tourist spots have their own local manjū, and they are popular as souvenirs and gifts.