Ningyo-yaki: Tokyo’s Tasty Dolls

21 Feb 2008 Category: Features, Japan, Products

In choosing a souvenir from Tokyo many tourist might pick up a package of ningyo-yaki, literally meaning “fried dolls.” Yes indeed, “fried” - but these cookies are made of a sweetened batter and often have sugared bean paste inside. Needless to say, they taste delicious! Ningyo-yaki also sport a wide variety of shapes and forms, as they are fried in special moulds to give them their playful figures. Skip your diets and let PingMag show you all about making them.

Written by Ryoko
Translated by Kevin Mcgue

We just followed our noses: At the Asakusa Nakamise shopping street, the air was full of the sweet smell of freshly made goodies with many ningyo-yaki stands on both sides of the street. The ningyo-yaki sold here characterize the religious and cultural forms of the Asakusa area, taking on the form of the pagoda, lanterns, or the Seven Lucky Gods. Other sweets fashionably resemble the faces of Bunraku puppets.

We spotted a stand selling souvenirs and found ningyo-yaki in the popular shapes of Doraemon, Hello Kitty, and the Sazae-san manga. They were filled with an bean paste as well as chocolate, custard cream, and other sweet stuff that kids love.

The next ningyo-yaki we look at are made by machine. These are especially fluffy and inside there is fine bean paste. Their esquisite detailed shapes make them popular souvenirs.

In many of the stands in the area that sell handmade ningyo-yaki, you can watch the master cooks working behind a glass window. Their quick and agile hands are really something to see, and many people on their way to the nearby temple, stop in the street to watch them for a while.

Among the many stands in the street leading up to the temple, we found the Kimura Ningyo-yaki Shop, and learned that it is famous for being the first shop to sell ningyo-yaki there. We asked the manager Nobuyuki Sakamoto a bit about the ningyo-yaki history:

“Ningyo-yaki actually started in Kobe, and then made its way to Tokyo,” Mr. Sakamoto explains. “The idea came from kawara senbei, a salty cracker with designs on them. At first, ningyo-yaki were quite hard, but through trial and error, the cooks were able to improve the batter and make them light and fluffy.”

We have always wondered about the name ningyo-yaki: “Fried dolls” sounds a bit cruel…

“There are different theories on where the name came from,” Mr. Sakamoto tells us. “One is that they were made for the first time in the Tokyo area of Ningyo-cho, literally “doll town.” Another is that the first ningyo-yaki were made to resemble the dolls used in Bunraku puppet theatre.”

The sweets at Kimura Ningyo-yaki Shop are incredibly detailed, with the corners of the lanterns and the wings of the doves meticulously done.

“We order our moulds from specialised professionals,” Sakamoto says from his shop. “There used to be more shops, but I think they have all disappeared: There are no longer places that make moulds with handles like we use here. However, we used to use only iron moulds that the batter often got stuck to. Now they are using blends of various non sticking metals, so our work has become much easier. I asked the craftsmen what they make the moulds from, but that‘s a secret,” says Sakamoto and laughs.

While hanging around the stands, we were watching the “changing of the guards,” as new cooks come in to relieve the ones who have been working for a while. Interestingly, they all seem to work with the same basic rhythm, but the speed and timing of turning over the moulds while roasting the contents over the heat seems to be different for each cook. “Yes, the timing of each is different,” says Sakamoto. “Also, the strength of the heat varies a bit. So just after the cooks switch places, it is difficult to make a perfect batch.”

Of course, we had to try more than one of these most delicious ningyo-yaki: The dough was light and just a little crispy on the outside, and the an bean paste inside was so delicious. The bean paste is made by simply boiling down crystal sugar and azuki beans, so the flavour of the beans really stands out. We asked about the ingredients of the batter, but that is a trade secret… Anything else, Mr. Sakamoto?

“Our ningyo-yaki are really best when they are freshly made. Come by and try some!”

Many thanks to Mr. Sakamoto and everyone at the Kimura Ningyo-yaki Shop! Next time you stop by Asakusa, make sure to grab some of these uniquely tasty ningyo-yaki!

15 Comments

1. i love eating these..they’re soo good when they’re fresh, hot and crispy!!

   Posted by: georgina on February 21st, 2008 at 7:26 pm

2. WWWAAAa… umaesou~

   Posted by: onakasuita san on February 21st, 2008 at 7:30 pm

3. looks yummy! I want…

   Posted by: otakugirl on February 21st, 2008 at 8:11 pm

4. Yes, fresh and hot are the best. I’m not a fan of the cold-style ones. These are so well designed. Stunning. I have something similar to those cast iron cooking devices but mine is for octopus balls or takoyaki.

   Posted by: Jessant on February 21st, 2008 at 10:23 pm

5. Yummy!

   Posted by: Mike on February 21st, 2008 at 11:45 pm

6. i am the fans of Red Beans

   Posted by: big jo on February 22nd, 2008 at 2:55 am

7. Oishiii desuneeee~

   Posted by: TOTORO on February 22nd, 2008 at 5:23 am

8. Japan is a fantasy country. Every day come out the new things and Idea.

   Posted by: Kong Soo on February 22nd, 2008 at 2:56 pm

9. [...] pingmag.jpg [...]

   Posted by: Elisava Escuela Superior de Diseño - Postgrado en Diseño y Dirección de Arte » Ningyo-yaki: Tokyo’s Tasty Dolls on February 22nd, 2008 at 5:00 pm

10. One of the reasons I wanna go to Japan!!!

    Posted by: cati on February 24th, 2008 at 4:26 pm

11. Ningyo-yaki’s been around for long time…great souveniors!!!
    Oishi~~~

    Posted by: Mariya Marie on February 28th, 2008 at 7:26 am

12. looks YUMMY!!!!!! i loveeee red bean paste!!!!!!
    now i’m hungry!

    Posted by: Naomi on February 29th, 2008 at 4:49 pm

13. Oishiiiiii ….
    It reminds me of a great time in Japan :-)

    Posted by: mee on March 7th, 2008 at 9:21 pm

14. Uwah~ I’m going to be in Asakusa on the 21st. I’m looking forward to trying these ningyo-yaki (I’m a big azuki bean freak)!

    Thanks for the article~

    Posted by: Yukari on March 10th, 2008 at 2:43 pm

15. [...] In choosing a souvenir from Tokyo many tourist might pick up a package of ningyo-yaki, literally meaning “fried dolls.” Yes indeed, “fried” - but these cookies are made of a sweetened batter and often have sugared bean paste inside. Needless to say, they taste delicious! Ningyo-yaki also sport a wide variety of shapes and forms, as they are fried in special moulds to give them their playful figures. Read the full story>>> [...]

    Posted by: Kevin Mcgue - Tokyo-Based Journalist & Filmmaker » Ningyo-yaki: Tokyo’s Tasty Dolls on March 3rd, 2009 at 10:23 pm

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