The Sweet Way
The wa in wagashi is stands for a thing that is Japanese while the gashi means sweets. Back when the capital of Japan was in Kyoto, wagashi, like haiku was supposed to deal with many senses. This happens to this very day. Wagashi has to taste good. Beans and grains are very important foods in Japan and the natural flavors should be appreciated. Wagashi must look good. The shapes, colors and designs of the candy connect to the natural world while the softness and texture of the sweet needs to feel good when it is eaten. Each candy should smell slightly sweet while the names must be rich when said.
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Wagashi has an interesting history. In olden times, wagashi was used as an offering to the ancestors and as a way to stay healthy. Azuki beans were also believed to keep evil spirits away. The original wagashi was thought to have been fruits and nuts that were eaten after a meal of rice. But, in the 12th century, a Buddhist priest who had studied in China brought back the tradition of drinking tea to Kyoto. The wagashi then combined with the tea drinking as a light snack. The shape, color and even the name changed depending on the season. The ingredients were pounded sticky rice- mochi, or rice powder, and azuki beans boiled with sugar into a sweet paste. Some people would eat manju- sweet bean jam cakes or yokan - boiled bean in wrapped in flour. Then, in the 16th century, when the Portuguese came to Japan, they brought sweets that used eggs and sugar which were baked into cakes or cookies. These new kinds of sweets combined with the traditional types. What we now know as wagashi is this combination of East and West.
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Sakuramochi was first made to look like cherry blossoms. It is a pink flour pancake wrapped around sweet been paste. A pickled cherry leaf is put on top of that. The sakuramochi is also sometimes eaten on Girl’s Day. |
Hanabiramochi were served during New Years
in the old Emperor’s court. The candy stood for long life. This sweet
is made out of white mochi folded over a diamond of red mochi and miso. |
Sawabe no hotaru is supposed to be like a
firefly near a stream. It is a bit of jelly surrounded by bean paste. |
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Yugata- This is in the shape of a yuzu or a Chinese lemon. In the winter, yuzu are put into baths for good health |
Matsu no yuki or the snowy pine- |
The Way of Wagashi. Kitase, Hilary. Metropolis. metropolis.japantoday.com/ tokyofeaturestories archive299/253/tokyofeaturestoriesinc.htm 2004
Want Something Very Japanese?. Marubeni Quarterly Magazine. marubeni.com/shosha/wsvj63.html. 2000