small coloured sugar candy covered in bulges(konpeitou)
confections adopted from Portugal, Spain, etc. during the Muromachi period and since JapanizedOda Nobunaga
Nanban confectionery was introduced from Portugal during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. There is a record that it was presented to Oda Nobunaga by the Christian missionary Luis Frois. The name comes from the Portuguese word “confeito,” from which the Chinese characters for “kompeito” and “kinmai-sugar” were derived. When the kernel of a small candy grain is covered with molasses and heated while stirring, it gradually hardens to form horn-like protrusions on the surface. It is characterized by its lovely appearance, which is colored in various colors.
