Hello and welcome to Madame Watanabe's Japanese Culture Class.

Today's theme is wagashi (Japanese sweets), and I would like to explain it in a way that is easy to understand for both Japanese people and foreigners.

We will explore the history and varieties of wagashi (Japanese sweets), and why mochi (rice cake) and bean paste desserts such as daifuku have become increasingly popular around the world in recent decades.

I am filled with deep emotions right now because I could never have imagined that a time would come when Japanese confectionery -- Japanese sweets made with mochi (rice cake) and an (bean paste) -- would be accepted by people who were not born and raised in the East Asian cultural sphere.

There is one incident that I will never forget.

It was the early 1980s. There was a TV show called "Yoru no Hit Studio," which was a music show similar to "Top of the Pops" that was broadcast on BBCXNUMX in the UK, and featured popular singers and bands. That night, a female group from the UK was making a special appearance.

That day, there was a segment where a Japanese female idol singer who was performing with them prepared some homemade Japanese sweets - probably bite-sized daifuku (food that resembles daifuku) - for the girls to try on the spot.

As I sat in front of the TV, I had a very, very bad feeling.

Unfortunately, my hunch was right: they put the sweets in their mouths and then immediately spat them out...

I don't blame them, because I don't think there's any way they could have understood the deliciousness of Daifuku when they had no knowledge of unknown foods or the food culture behind them.

At least until the end of the 20th century, about 20 years ago, mochi (rice cake) did not leave a very good impression on visitors from Europe and America, who were wary of the sticky texture of the food and could not believe that beans boiled in sugar could be eaten as a dessert.

Over the past few decades, Japanese ingredients such as yuzu (citrus fruit) and matcha (green tea), and the concept of Japanese taste such as umami (delicious flavor), have gradually spread into Western food culture, and finally, the stickiness of mochi is no longer a "wired" concept. In other words, it takes a lot of experience to understand that food culture.

Now, let's take a quick look at the history of Japanese sweets and explain the many different types of Japanese sweets. We'll also introduce some books that are available in English.

What are Japanese sweets? : Japanese sweets nurtured by Japanese history

The history of Japanese sweets dates back to ancient times. It is believed that they were originally very simple, made by grinding nuts and other ingredients. During the Nara period (710-794), Japan began to make its own unique mochi (rice cakes) and dango (rice dumplings) based on recipes introduced from China. From the Heian period (794-1185) through the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the techniques evolved along with the imperial court culture.

Sweets that came from China around that time are still made today. Uiro, a specialty of Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, was created in 1368 when Chen Yanyou came from China, became a naturalized citizen, and served the Emperor. It is a simple sweet made by mixing rice flour and brown sugar and steaming it.

A major turning point occurred during the Muromachi period (1336-1573). With the development of sadō (tea ceremony), there was a demand for delicate and beautiful wagashi to be served at chaseki (tea ceremonies), and this is when the prototype of modern wagashi was formed.

Wagashi comes from the words wa (wa) = Japan and kashi (kashi) = sweets, in other words, Japanese sweets.

The antonym is Yougashi (Western confectionery). Japanese people distinguish between the two, with You (Western) meaning Western style or Western sweets.

What are Japanese sweets?: Healthy sweets made mainly from mochi and beans

The main ingredients used in Japanese sweets are mochi (rice cake) and an (bean paste).

Mochi is made from mochi rice, a type of rice used for cooking. Compared to uruchimai (non-glutinous rice), which is the rice used for cooking, mochi rice is stickier. This characteristic is utilized to make mochi.

The bean paste is made by boiling azuki beans until they become soft, adding sugar and boiling for a long time until all the water has evaporated.

What are Japanese sweets?: Sweets that represent the four seasons of Japan

Japanese sweets - from nerikiri (a type of paste made from rice) eaten during the tea ceremony to the casual snacks eaten by ordinary people on a daily basis - place great importance on the sense of season. Expressing the changes of nature and the four seasons is an important element.

Japanese sweets are made to resemble cherry blossoms and young leaves in spring, cool waterside scenes in summer, autumn leaves and chestnuts in autumn, and snowy landscapes and plum blossoms in winter. These visually express the change of the seasons, allowing you to enjoy the unique flavors of each season.

Japanese sweets are also indispensable for seasonal events and celebrations. Special Japanese sweets are made for various events, adding color to those occasions. Let's introduce some Japanese sweets for each season.

【spring】

They are characterized by beautiful colors such as pink and green that evoke the end of winter, such as Sakuramochi (sakura mochi), Domyouji (Domyouji temple), and light green Kusamochi, which are based on the motif of cherry blossoms, which represent spring in Japan.

【summer】

There are many cool-looking Japanese sweets to help people get through the hot summer, including Kashiwamochi, which is eaten in early summer in May, refreshing Mizuyokan, and cool-looking Minazuki.

【autumn】

This is the season for Japanese sweets made with chestnuts harvested in autumn, such as kuriyokan (chestnut yokan) and kurimanju (chestnut buns). Other Japanese sweets include tsukimi dango (moon-viewing rice dumplings), which are eaten on the night of the full moon in September, and ohagi (rice dumplings) which are eaten during Ohigan (the equinox) in September, when Buddhists visit their graves.

【winter】

Other winter sweets include Hanabiramochi (flower petal rice cakes) served at New Year's celebrations and the first tea ceremony of the year, Uguisumochi (nightingale rice cakes) modeled after the nightingale, a bird that heralds the arrival of spring, and Ume (plum) Nerikiri (plum paste) modeled after plum blossoms that give off a sweet fragrance even in the harsh winter. At home, people enjoy Oshiruko (sweet red bean soup) using mochi (rice cakes) left over from New Year's.

What are Japanese sweets?: There is a wide variety

There are many different kinds of wagashi. Here we will introduce some popular wagashi that can be eaten all year round.

Japanese sweets include common Japanese sweets such as daifuku, ohagi, and dango, as well as nerikiri served at the tea ceremony, and monaka and castella cakes.

Nerikiri (Nerikiri)

Nerikiri is a beautifully crafted sweet served at tea ceremonies. It is made with shiroan (white bean paste) as the base, and features beautiful carvings. It has a texture similar to mochi, but instead it is made with gyuhi (rice cake). Gyuhi (rice cake) is made by mixing powdered mochi rice with sugar and starch syrup. It is softer and smoother than mochi.

Daifuku (Daifuku)

Daifuku is made by powdering dried mochigome (glutinous rice), mixing it with sugar and rolling it out, then wrapping an (bean paste). An is made by boiling red beans with sugar and then removing the moisture. The mochi or cracker that wraps the an is called kawa (skin) in Japanese. Daifuku can be eaten all year round.

About 40 years ago, Strawberry Daifuku was invented, with fresh strawberries put into the Daifuku paste. The sweetness of the paste and the tartness of the strawberries matched well, and it quickly spread throughout the country. Nowadays, Fruit Daifuku, which combines a variety of fruits such as grapes and mangoes, is gaining in popularity.

Ohagi

It is made by mixing glutinous rice and non-glutinous rice, cooking them, rolling them into balls, and wrapping them in bean paste to give them their shape. In other words, it is a glutinous rice onigiri wrapped in bean paste. In addition to bean paste, some are sprinkled with kinako (yellow flour), which is made by mixing roasted soybeans into powder and sugar.

Monaka (bean-jam sandwich)

It is made by rolling out glutinous rice flour thinly and baking it to create a thin wafer-like cracker called kawa (skin) with an (an) filling between the kawa (skin). It has a crispy texture and the sweetness of the an. Recently, it is common to see fine dining chefs incorporating monaka skins into their dishes.

Dorayaki (Congee grill)

Dorayaki is made by mixing flour, eggs, sugar, and other ingredients, baking two circular pancakes (Japanese people call dorayaki pancakes kawa [skin]), and then sandwiching a layer of bean paste between them. The fluffy pancakes and the bean paste go perfectly together, making it a popular gift in Japan.

In Japan, anything that has an (an) filling in between it, whether it be mochi, a cracker, or a pancake, is collectively called kawa (skin).

Castella

A sweet made by mixing eggs, sugar, starch syrup, and flour and baking it in an oven. It was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese 400 years ago. There is a theory that when a Japanese person asked the name of this sweet, they were told "Bolo de Castela (a sweet from the Kingdom of Castile [present-day Spain])," and this was mistaken for the name of a sweet.

There are many more types, but we'll stop here for now.

Japanese sweets are like a concentrated expression of the Japanese sense of beauty. They also match the modern era because they are very healthy and don't use butter or other fats, making them low in calories.

Daifuku and Yokan are sold at convenience stores, so the quickest way to get to know Japanese sweets is to try a variety of them (don't underestimate the sweets available at convenience stores these days).

Your guide to Japanese sweets

Here are two books about Japanese sweets that you can read in English. They are beautifully illustrated and will make for an enjoyable read.

[About Madame Watanabe]
A mysterious Japanese woman with a deep knowledge of Japanese culture. By the way, she has no relation to Mrs. Watanabe, the group of small-scale investors from Japan who appear in Western stock markets.