Daifuku
/daɪˈfuːkuː/noun
A Japanese confection consisting of sweet filling, traditionally red-bean paste, wrapped in soft mochi rice cake.
Did you know?Daifuku’s name reflects a traditional wordplay: the older name daifuku-mochi, meaning “big-belly mochi,” was replaced by the auspicious homophone 大福, “great luck.”
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
大福
“Great blessing or good fortune; the characters later used for the modern name.”
Muromachi Period
Japanese
大腹餅 (daifuku-mochi)
““Big-belly mochi,” an early name referring to the filling and rounded shape.”
18th Century
Japanese
大福餅 (daifuku-mochi)
“The name was reinterpreted with auspicious characters meaning “great luck mochi.””
19th Century
Japanese
大福 (daifuku)
“A shortened form used for the filled mochi confection.”
20th Century
English
daifuku
“An English loanword for the Japanese filled mochi sweet.”