Wagashi

are traditional Japanese confections that are often served with green tea, especially the types made of ''mochi'', ''anko'' (azuki bean paste), 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. Influenced by the introduction of tea and '' dim sum'', the creation of wagashi took off during the Edo period in Japan.

Types

* ''Akumaki'': one of the confections of Kagoshima Prefecture
* ''Anmitsu'': chilled agar jelly cubes ('' kanten'') served with sweet red bean paste and fruit
* ''Amanattō'': simmered azuki beans or other beans with sugar, and dried—amanattō and nattō are not related, although the names are similar.
* ''Botamochi'': a sweet rice ball wrapped with ''anko'' (or ''an'', thick azuki bean paste)
* ''Daifuku'': general term for ''mochi'' (pounded sweet rice) stuffed with ''anko''
* ''Dango'': a small, sticky, sweet Japanese dumpling, commonly skewered on a stick
* '' Domyoji'': wagashi made with anko (red beans) wrapped in sticky rice
* ''Dorayaki'': a round, flat sweet consisting of ''castella'' wrapped around ''anko''
* ''Gokabou'': a sweetened cake made of rice and mixed with sugar
* ''Hanabiramochi'': a flat, red and white, sweet ''mochi'' wrapped around ''anko'' and a strip of candied ''gobo'' (burdock), shaped like a flower petal
* '' Ikinari dango'': a steamed bun with a chunk of sweet potato and ''anko'' in the center, it is a local confectionery in Kumamoto.
* ''Imagawayaki'' (also ''kaitenyaki''): ''anko'' surrounded in a disc of fried dough covering
* '' Kompeito'': crystal sugar candy
* ''Kusa mochi'': "grass" ''mochi'', a sweet ''mochi'' infused with Japanese mugwort (''yomogi''), surrounding a center of ''anko''
* ''Kuzumochi''
* ''Kuri kinton'': a sweetened mixture of boiled and mashed chestnuts
* ''Manjū'': steamed cakes of ''an'' surrounded by a flour mixture, available in many shapes such as peaches, rabbits, and matsutake (松茸) mushrooms
* ''Mochi'': a rice cake made of glutinous rice
* ''Monaka'': 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''
* ''Sakuramochi'': a rice cake filled with ''anko'' and wrapped in a pickled cherry leaf
* ''Taiyaki'': like a ''imagawayaki'', a core of ''anko'' surrounded by a fried dough covering, but shaped like a fish
* ''Uirō'': a steamed cake made of rice flour and sugar, similar to ''mochi''
* ''Warabimochi'': traditionally made from ''warabi'' and served with ''kinako'' and ''kuromitsu''
* ''Yatsuhashi'': thin sheets of ''gyūhi'' (sweetened ''mochi''), available in different flavors, like cinnamon, and occasionally folded in a triangle around a ball of red ''anko''
* ''Yōkan'': one of the oldest'' wagashi'', a solid block of ''anko'', hardened with agar and additional sugar
* ''Yubeshi''

Classification

''Wagashi'' are classified according to the production method and moisture content. Moisture content is very important, since it affects shelf life.

* (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 confections
* ''Hangwa'' – Korean confections
* ''Bánh'' – Vietnamese sweet or savoury snacks and confections
* Turkish delight – Turkish confections
* List of Japanese desserts and sweets
* List of Japanese snacks

References

*

External links

*

Japan Wagashi Association

{{Authority control

Chadō
Tea culture