Manten-no-hoshi Daifuku

 

Manten-no-hoshi Daifuku is popular with females aged 20-40!

  Located near the source of the Shimanto River, the last pristine river in Japan, Tsuno Town is looking to put itself on the map by using its locally-grown hojicha (roasted) tea in a variety of desserts, including the recently introduced Manten-no-hoshi Daifuku.

   Manten-no-hoshi Daifuku is the brainchild of Ichiro Ohara, a “Food Producer” from Kochi who is famous for his “Aguri Kubokawa Meat Bun”(Shimanto Town) and his café “Kaze Koubou”(Kure, Nakatosa Town). Manten-no-hoshi Daifuku strikes a delicate balance between the bitter taste of hojicha and the sweet flavors of bean jam and fresh cream.

   The name Manten-no-hoshi means “heavens full of stars,” and was coined when Mr. Ohara visited the Tengu Highlands and gazed at the shimmering night sky. The name is also meant to be reminiscent of the Japanese phrase “manten,” which means to obtain a perfect score on something, as well as the English word “mountain.” By pure coincidence, the name of a flower which blooms at one of the shrines in Tsuno Town uses the same Kanji characters as Manten-no-hoshi, read as dodantsutsuji.

  

A picture of the café adjacent to the processing factory;
there are seats on the terrace as well

   The producers of Manten-no-hoshi Daifuku are working hard to exhibit their product in other prefectures, and made their debut at this year’s popular “Omeza Fair.” Not content to spread their reputation solely throughout Japan, they delivered the charm of Tsuno Town and Manten-no-hoshi Daifuku to international customers at the “Shikoku Food Fair” in Singapore this May.

   At the café adjacent to the processing factory, you can enjoy a free sample of hojicha and buy a variety of desserts made from the tea, including Manten-no-hoshi Daifuku! Fresh vegetables and delicious desserts from Tsuno Town are also available for purchase at their shop in Kochi City, and the attached café-restaurant has special menus with dishes made with ingredients from the town. Check it out!

 

Manten-no-hoshi
   Headquarters/Processing Factory: 4939 Funato, Tsuno Town, Takaoka District
   TEL: 0889-62-3335 FAX: 0889-62-3334
   Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00AM-5:00PM (Direct Sales Only) Sun & Holidays 10:00AM-3:00PM
   Branch Shop: 24-15 Minami Kawazoe, Kochi City
   TEL and FAX: 088-883-5039
   Hours: 9:30AM-5:00PM
   (Desserts corner open from 10:00AM, Café Restaurant open from 11:00AM)
   Website: http://www.manten-hoshi.jp/ (Japanese only)