うぐいす餅もち

う

ぐ

い

す

も

ち

Meanings

1

noun

uguisu mochi; mochi with red bean paste and green soy flour

food / cooking

A traditional Japanese sweet: a mochi rice cake filled with sweet red bean paste (anko) and dusted with green kinako (soybean flour), resembling the color of the Japanese bush warbler.

Kanji

餅mochi rice cake
鶯nightingale
鴬nightingale, bush warbler

Related words

餅もち
Generic term for mochi rice cake; うぐいす餅 is a specific type with red bean filling and green soy flour coating.
きな粉こ
Roasted soybean flour; the green variety used on うぐいす餅 is made from green soybeans (青大豆).

Written forms

うぐいす餅もち
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling; the bird name うぐいす is often written in kana in this confection name.
鶯うぐいす餅もちUsage50%
Full kanji spelling using the standard character for the Japanese bush warbler.
うぐいすもちUsage50%
鴬うぐいす餅もち
Variant kanji form using a simplified or alternative character for 鶯; less common.

Etymology

Named after the Japanese bush warbler (うぐいす) because the green soy flour coating resembles the bird's plumage. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a well-known seasonal wagashi.