noun
chunky mochi with half-polished rice, filled with red bean paste
A traditional Japanese sweet made from partially polished glutinous rice, giving it a coarse texture, and typically filled with sweet azuki bean paste. The name is associated with the Heian-period monk Kūya.
京都の老舗で空也餅を買った。
I bought kūya-mochi at a long-established shop in Kyoto.
空也餅は半搗きの米を使うので、独特の食感がある。
Kūya-mochi uses half-polished rice, so it has a distinctive texture.
Named after the Heian-period monk Kūya (空也), who is said to have popularized this style of mochi. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.