are traditional Japanese confections that are often served with
green tea
Green tea is a type of tea that is made from '' Camellia sinensis'' leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process which is used to make oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China, and since the ...
, especially the types made of ''
mochi
is a Japanese rice cake made of , a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. In Japan, it is traditionally ma ...
'', ''anko'' (
azuki bean paste
Red bean paste () or red bean jam, also called adzuki bean paste or ''anko'' (a Japanese word), is a paste made of red beans (also called "adzuki beans"), used in East Asian cuisine. The paste is prepared by boiling the beans, then mashing or g ...
), and fruit. ''Wagashi'' are typically made from plant-based ingredients.
History
In Japan, the word for sweets, , originally referred to fruits and nuts.
With the increasing sugar trade between China and Japan, sugar became a common household
ingredient by the end of the
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...
.
Influenced by the
introduction of tea and ''
dim sum'', the creation of wagashi took off during the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
in Japan.
Types
* ''
Akumaki
is a Japanese-style confection, or ''wagashi'' made in Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Kumamoto Prefecture during the Boys’ Festival on May 5. It is called more widely chimaki in Japan, and come from Chinese zongzi, that is eaten for the double 5 fe ...
'': one of the confections of
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,599,779 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 9,187 km2 (3,547 sq mi). Kagoshima Prefecture borders Kumamoto P ...
* ''
Anmitsu
Anmitsu (, rarely ) is a Japanese dessert that dates to the Meiji era.
It is made of small cubes of agar jelly, a white translucent jelly made from red algae. The agar is dissolved with water (or fruit juice such as apple juice) to make the je ...
'': chilled agar jelly cubes (''
kanten'') served with sweet red bean paste and fruit
* ''
Amanattō
is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese traditional confectionery made of azuki bean, azuki or other beans, covered with refined sugar after simmering with sugar syrup and drying.
It was developed by Hosoda Yasubei during the ''Bunkyū'' years (1861–1 ...
'': simmered
azuki beans or other beans with sugar, and dried—amanattō and
nattō
, spelled as natto in standard English language use, is a traditional Japanese food made from whole soybeans that have been fermented with ''Bacillus subtilis'' var. ''natto''. It is often served as a breakfast food with rice. It is served wi ...
are not related, although the names are similar.
* ''
Botamochi
is a wagashi (Japanese confection) made with glutinous rice, regular rice (ratio of 7:3, or only glutinous rice), and sweet azuki paste (red bean paste). They are made by soaking the rice for approximately 1 hour. The rice is then cooked, an ...
'': a sweet
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
ball wrapped with ''anko'' (or ''an'', thick
azuki bean paste
Red bean paste () or red bean jam, also called adzuki bean paste or ''anko'' (a Japanese word), is a paste made of red beans (also called "adzuki beans"), used in East Asian cuisine. The paste is prepared by boiling the beans, then mashing or g ...
)
* ''
Daifuku
, or (literally "great luck"), is a wagashi, (a type of Japanese confection) consisting of a small round mochi (a glutinous rice cake) stuffed with a sweet filling, most commonly '' anko'', (a sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans). D ...
'': general term for ''mochi'' (pounded sweet rice) stuffed with ''anko''
* ''
Dango
is a Japanese dumpling made from rice flour mixed with uruchi rice flour and glutinous rice flour. It is different from the method of making mochi, which is made after steaming glutinous rice. ''Dango'' is usually finished round shaped, thre ...
'': a small, sticky, sweet Japanese dumpling, commonly skewered on a stick
* ''
Domyoji'': wagashi made with anko (red beans) wrapped in sticky rice
* ''
Dorayaki
is a type of Japanese confection. It consists of two small pancake-like patties made from castella wrapped around a filling of sweet azuki bean paste.
The original dorayaki consisted of only one layer. Its current shape was invented in 1914 ...
'': a round, flat sweet consisting of ''castella'' wrapped around ''anko''
* ''
Gokabou
Gokabou ( 五家宝) is one of the Japanese wagashi, which is made and sold mainly in Saitama prefecture. Okoshi, a sweetened cake made of rice is mixed with sugar and then shaped into a thumb-sized cylinder. Wrapped in a sheet made by starch sy ...
'': a sweetened cake made of rice and mixed with sugar
* ''
Hanabiramochi
is a Japanese sweet (''wagashi''), usually eaten at the beginning of the year. Hanabiramochi are also served at the first tea ceremony of the new year.
Origin
The name "hanabiramochi" literally means "flower petal mochi". The original form of H ...
'': a flat, red and white, sweet ''mochi'' wrapped around ''anko'' and a strip of candied ''gobo'' (
burdock
''Arctium'' is a genus of biennial plants commonly known as burdock, family Asteraceae. Native to Europe and Asia, several species have been widely introduced worldwide. Burdock's clinging properties, in addition to providing an excellent mecha ...
), shaped like a flower petal
* ''
Ikinari dango'': a steamed bun with a chunk of
sweet potato
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...
and ''anko'' in the center, it is a local confectionery in
Kumamoto
is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2.
had a population of 1,461,000, ...
.
* ''
Imagawayaki
is a Japanese dessert often found at Japanese festivals as well as outside Japan, in countries such as Taiwan and South Korea. It is made of batter in a special pan (similar to a waffle iron but without the honeycomb pattern), and filled with ...
'' (also ''kaitenyaki''): ''anko'' surrounded in a disc of fried dough covering
* ''
Kompeito'': crystal sugar candy
* ''
Kusa mochi Kusa or KUSA may refer to:
* Kusa, Russia, a town in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia
* Kusa, Latvia, a village in Madona District, Latvia
* Kusa, Oklahoma, United States
* Kusa, indigenous name of Beles River (in Gumuz language)
* Kusa, Afghanistan ...
'': "grass" ''mochi'', a sweet ''mochi'' infused with Japanese
mugwort
Mugwort is a common name for several species of aromatic flowering plants in the genus ''Artemisia.'' In Europe, mugwort most often refers to the species '' Artemisia vulgaris'', or common mugwort. In East Asia the species '' Artemisia argyi'' i ...
(''yomogi''), surrounding a center of ''anko''
* ''
Kuzumochi
is a Japanese term referring either to cakes made of () or cakes made from Lactobacillales-fermented wheat starch (), a speciality dish local to certain wards of Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ...
''
* ''
Kuri kinton Kuri may refer to:
People
* Aren Kuri (born 1991), a Japanese baseball player
* Daniel Ludlow Kuri (born 1961), a Mexican politician
* Emile Kuri (1907–2000), Mexican-American film set decorator
* Ippei Kuri (born 1940), a Japanese manga arti ...
'': a sweetened mixture of boiled and mashed chestnuts
* ''
Manjū
is a traditional Japanese confection. Of the many varieties of manjū, most have an outside made from flour, rice powder, kudzu, and buckwheat, and a filling of ''anko'' ( red bean paste), usually made from boiled adzuki beans and sugar. ''M ...
'': steamed cakes of ''an'' surrounded by a flour mixture, available in many shapes such as peaches, rabbits, and
matsutake
, ''Tricholoma matsutake'', is a species of choice edible mycorrhizal mushroom that grows in East Asia, Europe, and North America. It is prized in Japanese cuisine for its distinct spicy-aromatic odor.
Etymology
The common name and specifi ...
(松茸) mushrooms
* ''
Mochi
is a Japanese rice cake made of , a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. In Japan, it is traditionally ma ...
'': a rice cake made of glutinous rice
* ''
Monaka
is a Japanese sweet made of azuki bean paste sandwiched between two thin crisp wafers made from mochi. The wafers can have the shape of a square, a triangle, or may be shaped like cherry blossoms, chrysanthemums, and so on.
The azuki bean pa ...
'': a center of ''anko'' sandwiched between two delicate and crispy sweet rice crackers
* ''
Oshiruko'' (also ''zenzai''): a hot dessert made from ''anko'' in a liquid, soup form, with small ''mochi'' floating in it
* ''
Rakugan'': a small, very solid and sweet cake which is made of rice flour and ''
mizuame
is a sweetener from Japan. A clear, thick, sticky liquid, it is made by converting starch to sugars. is added to to give them a sheen, eaten in ways similar to honey, and can be a main ingredient in sweets. Some are produced in a very simil ...
''
* ''
Sakuramochi
is a Japanese confection (''wagashi'') consisting of sweet, pink-colored rice cake (''mochi'') with a red bean paste (''anko'') center and wrapped in a pickled cherry blossom (''sakura'') leaf. Different regions of Japan have different styl ...
'': a rice cake filled with ''anko'' and wrapped in a pickled cherry leaf
* ''
Taiyaki
is a Japanese fish-shaped cake, commonly sold as street food. It imitates the shape of , which it is named after. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened adzuki beans. Other common fillings may be custard, choc ...
'': like a ''
imagawayaki
is a Japanese dessert often found at Japanese festivals as well as outside Japan, in countries such as Taiwan and South Korea. It is made of batter in a special pan (similar to a waffle iron but without the honeycomb pattern), and filled with ...
'', a core of ''anko'' surrounded by a fried dough covering, but shaped like a fish
* ''
Uirō
''Uirō'' (Japanese: , , ), also known as , is a traditional Japanese steamed cake made of glutinous rice flour and sugar. It is chewy, similar to ''mochi'', and subtly sweet. Flavors include azuki bean paste, green tea (matcha), ''yuzu'', ...
'': a steamed cake made of rice flour and sugar, similar to ''mochi''
* ''
Warabimochi
is a wagashi (Japanese confection) made from warabiko (bracken starch) and covered or dipped in ''kinako'' ( sweet toasted soybean flour). It differs from true ''mochi'' made from glutinous rice. It is popular in the summertime, especially in t ...
'': traditionally made from
''warabi'' and served with ''
kinako
''Kinako'' ( or ) is roasted soybean flour, a product commonly used in Japanese cuisine. In English, it is usually called "roasted soy flour". More precisely it is "roasted whole soy flour". Usage of the word ''kinako'' appeared in cookbooks fr ...
'' and ''
kuromitsu
is a Japanese sugar syrup. It is similar to molasses, but thinner and milder.
It is typically made from unrefined (muscovado sugar), and is a central ingredient in many Japanese sweets. It is one of the ingredients used in making , and is eate ...
''
* ''
Yatsuhashi
is a Japanese confection sold mainly as a souvenir snack (''miyagegashi''). It is one of the best known ''meibutsu'' (famous regional products) of Kyoto. It is made from glutinous , sugar, and cinnamon. Baked, it is similar to senbei. The sha ...
'': thin sheets of ''
gyūhi
is a form of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweet). Gyūhi is a softer variety of mochi (餅), and both are made from either glutinous rice or from .
Because gyūhi is more delicate, it is usually less frequently made and served than mochi. It i ...
'' (sweetened ''mochi''), available in different flavors, like cinnamon, and occasionally folded in a triangle around a ball of red ''anko''
* ''
Yōkan
is a wagashi (Japanese confection) made of red bean paste, agar, and sugar. It is usually sold in a block form, and eaten in slices. There are two main types: ''neri yōkan'' and ''mizu yōkan''. "Mizu" means "water", and indicates that it i ...
'': one of the oldest'' wagashi'', a solid block of ''anko'', hardened with
agar and additional sugar
* ''
Yubeshi
Yubeshi ( ja, ゆべし) is a type of wagashi (Japanese confection). It has several flavor and shape variations, most commonly walnuts or Japanese citrus (usually yuzu
Yuzu (''Citrus junos'', from Japanese or ) is a citrus fruit and plant ...
''
Classification
''Wagashi'' are classified according to the production method and moisture content. Moisture content is very important, since it affects
shelf life
Shelf life is the length of time that a commodity may be stored without becoming unfit for use, consumption, or sale. In other words, it might refer to whether a commodity should no longer be on a pantry shelf (unfit for use), or no longer on a ...
.
* (wet confectionery)—contains 30% or more moisture
** is a very soft and delicate, seasonally varying ''namagashi'', in various, often elaborate, shapes and colors, often reflecting seasonal plants. Some stores will have many dozens over the course of a year.
Japanese Confectionery Gratifies the Eyes and the Palate
''Aichi Voice'' Issue 7, 1997
**
** (steamed confectionery)
** (baked confectionery)
*** (Flat pan baked confectionery)
*** (oven baked confectionery)
**
**
** (fried confectionery)
* (half-wet confectionery)—contains 10%–30% moisture
**
**
** (baked confectionery)
*** (Flat pan baked confectionery)
*** (oven baked confectionery)
**
**
* (dry confectionery)—contains 10% or less moisture
**
**
**
** (baked confectionery)
** (candy confectionery)
Characteristics
Making ''wagashi'' typically takes a lot of work. They are usually named after poetry, historical events, or natural scenery.
''Wagashi'' are known for their delicateness and variety in appearance, reflecting the delicacy culture of Japan.
They can be used as a gift during festivals, and can also be a daily treat for visiting guests. Different places have ''wagashi'' that are unique in flavor as their local specialty. Japanese people tend to take ''wagashi'' back home after business trips or personal trips.
Many Japanese believe that the artistic characteristics of ''wagashi'' represent both the season when the ''wagashi'' are made and the humble culture of Japan.
See also
* Chinese desserts
Chinese desserts () are sweet foods and dishes that are served with tea, along with meals – Chinese confections
* ''Hangwa
''Hangwa'' () is a general term for traditional Korean confections. With ''tteok'' (rice cakes), ''hangwa'' forms the sweet food category in Korean cuisine. Common ingredients of ''hangwa'' include grain flour, fruits and roots, sweet ingre ...
'' – Korean confections
* ''Bánh
In Vietnamese, the term ''bánh'' ( or , Chữ Nôm: 餅) translates loosely as "cake" or "bread", but refers to a wide variety of prepared foods that can easily be eaten by hands or chopsticks. With the addition of qualifying adjectives, '' ...
'' – Vietnamese sweet or savoury snacks and confections
* Turkish delight
Turkish delight or lokum ( ota, لوقوم) is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often f ...
– Turkish confections
* List of Japanese desserts and sweets
In Japan, desserts were being made for centuries well before sugar was made widely available. Many desserts commonly available in Japan can be traced back for hundreds of years. In Japanese cuisine, traditional sweets are known as , and are mad ...
* List of Japanese snacks
This is a list of Japanese and finger foods. It includes both brand name and generic snacks.
Types ''Anko'', or sweet bean paste
'' Anko'' is a kind of sweet bean paste.
Anko is mainly eaten during the afternoon green tea time in Japan. School ...
References
*
External links
*
Japan Wagashi Association
{{Authority control
Chadō
Tea culture