B-class classics
Imobota
- 29Nara
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- 29Nara
Dish log
A Nara botamochi made by cooking and mashing non-glutinous rice with taro and wrapping it in red bean paste.
Dish profile
About this dish
- Main ingredients
- Rice, taro, adzuki beans
- History and origin
- Because glutinous rice was precious, taro was added to non-glutinous rice so that its stickiness would produce a botamochi like one made from glutinous rice; it is regarded as the wisdom of farmers who valued rice. Imobota in other prefectures uses potatoes or sweet potatoes, but Nara's is distinctive for using taro, since taro cultivation was widespread there.
- When it is eaten
- Eating it on the Day of the Boar in November, when the harvest is over, is said to ward off all illnesses, and it is also called "inoko mochi." On the flatlands of the Nara Basin, it is offered at graves and household Buddhist altars on celebratory days such as the equinox week (higan) and autumn festivals.
- How it is eaten
- The mashed rice is shaped into small bales and wrapped in red bean paste. It stays soft even when cooled, offering a chewy texture.
Sources
- いもぼた 奈良県 | うちの郷土料理：農林水産省 · Ministry of Agriculture · Source checked 2026-10-12
Recipes vary by region and household. This is not ingredient, allergy, or dietary guidance for a specific restaurant.
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