Kompeito
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kompeito (Japanese: 金平糖, 金米糖, or 金餅糖 in Kanji, or こんぺいとう・コンペイトー in kana [hiragana is more common as it is now a naturalized Japanese word], konpeitō) is a Japanese candy originally made in Portugal. The word Kompeito comes from the Portuguese word confeito, which means a sugar candy. It was introduced to Japan somewhere around the 15th and 16th century by traders from Europe.
Kompeito is usually 5 to 10 millimeters in diameter. They are covered with tiny bulges, which occur in the cooking process. It usually takes 7 to 10 days to make Kompeito and they are handmade even today. Kompeito is made by showering sugar water in a giant spinning tub called dora. This forming process is a topic in molecular engineering, as these bulges would not form if the tub spun faster.
[edit] Kompeito in fiction
- The Soot Balls (coal-carrying sprites) in the Hayao Miyazaki animated film Spirited Away are fed kompeito by Lin after their work shift in the bathhouse boiler room.
- Shima Katase, the protagonist of the animated series Stellvia of the Universe, keeps a jar of kompeito in her room as a sentimental reminder of her homeland. As a recurring theme of the series, Shima is often seen eating the candy or sharing it with others.
- In episode 32 of the popular anime series Bleach, Renji Abarai gives Rukia Kuchiki kompeito, and Rukia later defends a child who has his kompeito taken from him by an older kid.
- In the popular anime and manga series Paradise Kiss, Miwako Sakurada keeps a jar of kompeito that was given to her by a friend. She eats it when she feels down, because it carries special memories.
- Kompeito is a recurring item in Hisaya Nakajo's current manga series, Sugar Princess.
- In episode 6 of Ojamajo Doremi Na-i-sho, kompeito plays a minor role in the plotline of the episode.
- Episode 5 of Hamtaro (Diamonds of Sugar) revolves around the Ham-Ham gang trying to obtain kompeito, which they believe to be the stars in the sky.
- In Sailor Moon the Movie S: Hearts in Ice the "Star-flakes" Luna enjoys eating are actually called kompeito in the original Japanese.
- The Everlasting Gobstoppers from the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory have an appearance similar to kompeito.
- In Mobile Suit Gundam the Zeon space fortress Solomon is shaped like a kompeito. After it's captured by the Earth Federation, it's renamed "Kompeito."
- In the 'Tenshu Monogatari' story of the anime Ayakashi, kompeito is shown being offered to pet falcons. The protagonists share kompeito among each other too.
