[2] Usage of the word kinako appeared in Japanese cookbooks from the late Muromachi period (1336–1573).

[5] Kinako is widely used in Japanese cooking, but is strongly associated with dango and wagashi.

Dango, dumplings made from mochiko (rice flour), are commonly coated with kinako.

One example of its use in popular foods is warabimochi, which is a famous kinako-covered sweet.

Being composed of soybeans, kinako is a nutritious topping and source of flavor, containing B vitamins and protein.