Wagashi

nihongo|Wagashi| is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, azuki bean paste, and fruits.

Wagashi is typically made from natural based (mainly plant) ingredients. The names used for "wagashi" commonly fit a formula — a natural beauty and a word from ancient literature.

Generally, confectioneries that were introduced from the West after the Meiji Restoration (1868) are not considered "wagashi". Most sorts of Okinawan confectionery and those originating in Europe or China that use ingredients alien to traditional Japanese cuisine, e.g., "kasutera", are only rarely referred to as "wagashi".

History

Ancient

In ancient Japan, people ate fruits and nuts as confectionery and sweets, to supplement nutrition in addition to grain, such as rice, wheat and millet. In an excavation of a Jōmon period archeological site, the carbonized remains of what appeared to be baked cookies made from chestnut powder were discovered.

According to the "Kojiki", Emperor Suinin ordered Tajima-mori to bring nihongo|"Tokijiku-no-Kagu-no-Konomi"|登岐士玖能迦玖能木實|a kind of orange from the Eternal Land. 10 years later, Tajima-mori returned with the orange, but Emperor Suinin was already dead. Tajima-mori mourned since he could not carry out his mission and took his own life. [ Chamberlain, B.H. (1882-1919) "The Kojiki - translated by Basil Hall Chamberlain" [http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/kj/index.htm Public Domain (Published before copyright)] : [http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/kj/kj081.htm SECT. LXXIV.--EMPEROR SUI-NIN] .] By tradition, Tajima-mori is worshipped as spirit like a patron saint among confectionery craftsmen.

Grain processing technology evolved through rice cultivation. People began to produce a parched rice ("yaigome"), sun-dried cooked rice ("hoshi-ii"), rice flour, dumpling ("dango"), "mochi", "ame" (made of saccharified rice malt) and so on. Thus, ancient people's confectionery was very simple.

Tang confectionery

Japan sent envoys to the Sui and Tang Dynasty from the Asuka period to the beginning of the Heian period. They brought back eight nihongo|Tang confectioneries|唐菓子|Tō-gashi or kara-kudamono and 14 nihongo|grain flour-based confectioneries|果餅 and the recipes. The Tang confectioneries were kneaded wheat flour and rice flour, and fried in oil. These were more advanced than the confectionery technology of Japan in those days. They were served at the Imperial Court and offered to Shintoist and Buddhist deities. According to one view, a dark brown sugar was also brought back from China by Jianzhen who came to Japan from the Tang in this period. However, since sugar-refining technology was not introduced to Japan at this point, the sugar was very rare and was treasured like a medicine. Generally, nihongo|the syrup which boiled the sap of Grape ivy down|甘葛煎|amazura-sen was used as a sweetener at this time.

During this period, many diaries and tales were written among upper class and aristocrats. "The Tale of Genji", "The Pillow Book" and "The diary of Izumi Shikibu" have some episodes about confectionery. Moreover, the records manifesting a life situation also increased with improvement of a government institution.Clarifyme|date=March 2008 They are how we know confectionery culture of those days.

* Tang confectioneries
** Major eights: "Baishi", "Danki", "Hichira", "Kakko", "Keishin", "Tensei", "Tōshi" and "Tsuishi".
** Others: "Buto", "Fuzuku", "Heidan", "Hōtō" (According to one theory, it is an archetype of "Hōtō"), "Kakunawa", "Konton", "Magari", "Mugikata" and "Sakuhei".
* "Aozashi": It is made of parched green wheat flour and twisted like a thread.
* "Kezurihi": Shaved ice flavored with "amazura-sen" syrup. It is called "kakigori" today.
* Some mochi-based confectioneries. For example:
** "Tsubaki mochii": A "mochi" flavored with "amazura-sen" syrup.
** "Inoko mochii": A "mochi" shaped as a wild boar piglet.

Introduction of tea

The first introduction of tea in Japan is unclear. In 729, Emperor Shōmu held a ritual of the tea party after sutra recitation. In 815, Emperor Saga was given a cup of tea by the high priest. During the Heian period it seems that the customs of tea drinking had not been established outside of Temples and Buddhism, and had not progressed into domestic culture. Therefore, the standard introduction is in 1191, when the famous Zen priest Eisai brought back tea seeds to Kyoto. Then, confectionery was improved as a snack or a light meal to accompany tea.

In 1349, nihongo|Rin Jōin|林淨因 who came from Yuan to Japan with a Zen priest. He lived in Nara, and sold a steamed filled dumplings. However, since meat eating was a taboo in Japan then, azuki bean paste sweetened with honeysuckle syrup, was used as a replacement filling. This was very popular and was presented to the Imperial Court repeatedly. Then, Rin married and was naturalized in Japan. The "manjū" store which he opened is still operating in in Tokyo as nihongo|"Shiose Sō-honke"|塩瀬総本家. Moreover, from 1949, Rin was worshipped as ancestor of "manjū" in Hayashi shrine in Nara.

Nanban confectionery

In 1543, Portuguese were shipwrecked on Tanegashima Isle. Some European confectioneries became popular in Japan during the Nanban trade. These were referred to as nihongo|nanban-gashi|南蛮菓子, or "Wagashi with a new wind".

In Japan, cattle are not common, therefore non-dairy based confectionery was more popular, in particular castella, "kompeito", "aruheitō", "karumera", "keiran sōmen", "bōro" and "bisukauto".

Edo period

During the Edo period, the production of sugarcane in Okinawa became highly productive, and low quality brown sugar as well as heavily processed white sugar became widely available. A type of sugar, wasanbon was perfected in this period and is still used exclusively to make wagashi. Wagashi was a popular gift between samurai, in significance much like a good wine. Wagashi is served as part of a Japanese tea ceremony, and serving a good seasonal wagashi shows one's educational background.

In modern days

Types of Wagashi

* Anmitsu - chilled gelatinous cubes ("kanten") with 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 mochi, commonly skewered on a stick.
* Hanabiramochi - a flat red and white sweet "mochi" wrapped around "anko" and a strip of candied "gobo" (burdock).
* Ikinari dango - a steamed bun with chunks of sweet potato in the dough, with "anko" in the center. It is a local confectionery in Kumamoto.
* Imagawayaki (also "kaitenyaki" and so on) - "anko" surrounded in a disc of fried dough covering.
* Kusa mochi - "grass mochi", a sweet "mochi" infused with Japanese mugwort ("yomogi"), surrounding a center of "anko".
* Kuri kinton - a sweetened mixture of boiled and mashed chestnuts.
* Manju (food) - steamed cakes of "an" surrounded by a flour mixture, available in many shapes such as peaches or rabbits.
* Matsunoyuki - "the snow on the pine", a sweetened "mochi" in the shape of a pine tree, sprinkled with ground sugar.
* 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 "kaitenyaki", 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 - a wagashi 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".
* Yokan - one of the oldest wagashi, a solid block of "anko", hardened with agar and additional sugar.

Classifications / Categories

Wagashi are classified according to the production method and moisture content. Moisture content is very important since it affects the best-before date.
* (wet confectionery) - contains moisture 30% or more.
** nihongo|"Mochi mono"|もち物
** nihongo|"Mushi mono"|蒸し物
** nihongo|"Yaki mono"|焼き物
*** nihongo|"Hiranabe mono"|平なべ物
*** nihongo|"Ōbun mono"|オーブン物
** nihongo|"Nagashi mono"|流し物
** nihongo|"Neri mono"|練り物
** nihongo|"Age mono"|揚げ物

* (half-wet confectionery) - contains moisture 10% - 30%.
** nihongo|"An mono"|あん物
** nihongo|"Oka mono"|おか物
** nihongo|"Yaki mono"|焼き物
*** nihongo|"Hiranabe mono"|平なべ物
*** nihongo|"Ōbun mono"|オーブン物
** nihongo|"Nagashi mono"|流し物
** nihongo|"Neri mono"|練り物

* (dry confectionery) - contains moisture 10% or less.
** nihongo|"Uchi mono"|打ち物
** nihongo|"Oshi mono"|押し物
** nihongo|"Kake mono"|掛け物
** nihongo|"Yaki mono"|焼き物
** nihongo|"Ame mono"|あめ物

Wagashi in fiction

* NHK aired a morning drama series called " [http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Asuka Asuka] ". The overall theme of the series is wagashi.
* The male lead in the visual novel has the power to create wagashi, which he uses at various times in the game.

References

* cite book
last = Aoki
first = Naomi
title = 図説 和菓子の今昔 Zusetsu wagashi no konjyaku
publisher = 株式会社淡交社 Tankosha Publishing Co.,Ltd
date = 2000
month = October
isbn = 978-4473017628

ee also

*List of Japanese snack food

External links

* [http://www.wagashi.or.jp/ Japan Wagashi Association]
* [http://www.toraya-group.co.jp/english/index.html Toraya] - An old wagashi maker dating back to late 16th century.
* [http://www.wagashi-atelier.com/gallery/ Shikisaika] - images of wagashi
* [http://www.wa-gasi.net/ Wa-Gasi] , a blog devoted to wagashi