The roots of Kyo-okaki and Kyo-arare are said to lie in the kakimochi rice cakes served to travelers at a Jishu temple located at the back of what is now Maruyama Park during the Edo period. In particular, the Maruyama-kemochi rice cakes served at Saami, a traditional Japanese restaurant still standing today, became a popular souvenir of Kyoto. Kyo-okaki and Kyo-arare continue to use the same Maruyama-kemochi manufacturing method today, using carefully selected domestically grown glutinous rice polished as white as possible, soaked overnight in cold water, steamed in a bamboo steamer with the grains intact, and pounded with a mallet to form mochi. The rice is then left to rest for two or three days before being cut into pieces, dried for up to ten days, and baked to a fragrant finish. While this process takes time and effort, it results in rice crackers and arare that are unique to Kyoto, with a rich rice flavor.