Walnut and Kurumikko Day

September 30th has been deemed "Walnut Day" by walnut lovers around Japan, including Tomi City in Nagano prefecture which is the largest producer of walnuts in Japan. It is also Kurumikko Day, a walnut dessert by Kamakura Beniya Co. Ltd. The date is a pun from how September 30th can be read in Japanese 'kurumi marui", which means "walnut is round". The nine (9) for September can be read "ku", three (3) can be read (ru)"mi" and zero (0) looks round which is "marui" in Japanese. In addition, at this time of year walnuts are widely available in Japan.

The purpose of the anniversary is to promote walnuts as an ingredient and promote their wide range of uses. Most of the walnuts that grow naturally in Japan are called onigurumi, and the kernels are lumpy and very hard, making it difficult for the seeds (kernels) to be removed. Hence, the name - "oni" means devil; devil walnuts. But walnuts have been used for food for a long time in Japan. There have been cases of kernels excavated from the Jomon period, and it is believed that onigurumi was used as food during that time - about 7000 years ago.

Kurumikko is a type of dessert by Kamakura Beniya who established today as Kurumikko Day. The company's "Walnut Cake" is a popular baked confectionery made by filling homemade caramel with walnuts and sandwiching it with butter dough. It would make a nice treat on Walnut / Kurumikko Day! Moreover, for the month of September, every day is Kurumikko Day at Kamakura Beniya, and they  special menus and give away clear files!