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 th ...

, 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), 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 An ingredient is a substance that forms part of a mixture (in a general sense). For example, in cooking, recipes specify which ingredients are used to prepare a specific dish. Many commercial product (business), products contain secret ingredie ...

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 ...

. Influenced by the introduction of tea and ''

dim sum Dim sum () is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch. Most modern dim sum dishes are commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine, although dim sum dishes also exist in other Chinese cuis ...

'', 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 character ...

in Japan.

Types

* '' Akumaki'': 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'': chilled agar jelly cubes ('' kanten'') served with sweet red bean paste and fruit * '' Amanattō'': simmered

azuki bean ''Vigna angularis'', also known as the adzuki bean , azuki bean, aduki bean, red bean, or red mung bean, is an annual vine widely cultivated throughout East Asia for its small (approximately long) bean. The cultivars most familiar in East Asia ...

s or other beans with sugar, and dried—amanattō and nattō are not related, although the names are similar. * '' Botamochi'': a sweet

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

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 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 ...

'': 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 mech ...

), 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 bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable. The young ...

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 is a Japanese term referring either to cakes made of () or cakes made from Lactobacillales-fermented Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemis ...

'' * ''

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 artist ...

'': 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 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 paste ...

'': 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 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'' and '' kuromitsu'' * ''

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 sh ...

'': thin sheets of ''

gyūhi is a form of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweet). Gyūhi is a softer variety 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 ri ...

'' (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 Agar ( or ), or agar-agar, is a jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from ogonori (''Gracilaria'') and "tengusa" (''Gelidiaceae''). As found in nature, agar i ...

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 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.

References

External links