What happened when I put Akumaki in the fridge | It was supposed to be soft, but it turned into something else entirely

Hello, this is Dekoboko Obaba.

In Miyazaki, 'Akumaki' is a food often eaten during the Boys' Festival.
It is a traditional preserved food made by boiling glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves in lye.

But this—
if you store it incorrectly, it turns into a completely different food (lol).

'This is definitely going to be delicious.'
Have you ever bought something thinking that—
only for it to take an unexpected turn?

I really messed up (lol).

A story that started with soft, squishy happiness

I found some Akumaki at a local farmers' market.

That unique aroma and softness.
That 'squishy' feeling the moment I held it in my hand.

'This is a sure thing.'

Convinced of that, I put it in my basket without hesitation.

The 'unexpected event' that happened in Osaka

The other day, when I went to my son's house in Osaka,
I brought that Akumaki as a souvenir.

And then—

My kind daughter-in-law,
carefully put it in the refrigerator.

(Yeah, I'm very grateful for that sentiment.)

And I completely forgot about it.

I didn't remember until two weeks later.

Huh? This wasn't supposed to happen.

When I took it out...

Where did that soft, squishy texture go?

It's like a stick.
No, it's really hard (lol)

When I opened it and cut it,
it was completely like a rice cake.

You can eat it like this, but
it's a different thing from that original softness.

However, there was an unexpected turn of events

"This is hard to eat, isn't it?"

While saying that,
I cut it into marble-sized pieces and served it.

Then—

My 5-year-old grandchild, who is a picky eater,

started gobbling it up, one after another.

Huh? Really? (lol)

I looked at my husband, and
we both grinned unintentionally.

"This might actually work," I thought,
pumping my fist in the air.

Akumaki is a preserved food, but

this experience made one thing clear.

Akumaki is a preserved food, but—

If you put it in the fridge, it becomes something else entirely (lol)

If you want to enjoy its softness,
room temperature is definitely the best.

Akumaki is a flavor that comes with memories

Come to think of it—

Akumaki isn't just a snack, is it?

For me,
it's a flavor that is tied to my childhood memories.

The lively sounds of the kitchen,
the time it took to be ready,
and that aroma.

Nostalgia is something that comes back along with the taste, isn't it?

👉 At the Strawberry Senior News Bureau,
I am slowly writing about those 'childhood memories related to Akumaki'.

I'm sure there are people who will feel, 'Ah, I know exactly what you mean'.

Akumaki as a local delicacy

And, Akumaki has another side to it.

It is a food packed with the wisdom of people from the past,
passed down for the Boys' Festival.

👉 In Hinata's Grandma's Uneven Diary,
I have also summarized its history and how to make it.

There are surely things that will make you think, 'I see'.

A final word

The Akumaki that I thought was a failure,
unexpectedly led to my family's smiles—

That alone is enough.

Daily life is made a little richer
by these small occurrences, isn't it?

Now, for next time,
should I eat it while it's still soft—
or should I dare to let it harden?

I'm a bit torn (laughs).