There is a pastry chef who is often seen at events held by Ai Hosokawa at Taishoji Temple. That person is Kaoruko Watanabe, who makes sweets using seasonal fruits from Kumamoto. She tells Ai Hosokawa, ``Once she eats Kaoruko-san's sweets, I think I should stop making sweets.'' In her sweets, you can feel the majesty of the fruit in her gentleness. This is probably due to the kindness of the makers and the consideration for the people who eat them.

Written by Kaoruko Watanabe

I love watching the changing seasons in the garden of Taishoji Temple, and while attending tea parties, I eventually became involved in Taishoji Temple.
Monthly morning market, seasonal market, and sales at huts. We may also be approached at tea parties or cafes held in conjunction with exhibitions.
One of the joys of Taishoji Temple is that while having a tea ceremony, you can borrow utensils from the exhibition next door and arrange them according to the atmosphere of the occasion.

The sweets were served in a bowl made by potter Yoshio Samukawa. This is a sweet that I made at the beginning of March.
Mugwort (mugwort) had just barely begun to sprout, so I picked the small, soft leaves and made them into mochi mochi. For the filling, we use azuki beans from Kumamoto.
It's made by someone nearby, and it has a very good flavor, and when it's new, it has a hearty, delicious flavor.

In Kumamoto, there is a native type of red bean called Higo-shozu. A farm familiar with native varieties told me that although it tastes good, the grains are small and the yield is low, so no one makes them for sale anymore.
I'm planning to visit the person who makes Higo Azuki beans in the near future.

The other one is summer mandarin oranges mixed with agar.
The great thing about these kinds of sweets is that when you put a knife into them, the aroma immediately spreads out. You may be tempted to eat a whole piece by yourself, just open the lid and scoop it out with a spoon, but we recommend cutting it up at the table and enjoying its aroma.

Kawachi in Kumamoto is a citrus producing area, and there are mountains of oranges along the coast. From autumn to winter, the area is covered with orange mandarin oranges, and in May, when the flowers bloom, the entire mountain is filled with the scent of mandarin oranges.
As the name suggests, Kawachi Bankan is harvested late, so it bears large fruits until early summer. It's a very sweet citrus fruit with a grapefruit-like scent.

At the top of this tangerine mountain, there is a Nishida orchard. We grow fruits such as citrus fruits, peaches, and plums using the ``Tsukiyomi cultivation'' method, which follows the rhythm of the waxing and waning of the moon.
Naturally grown fruits and vegetables are smaller, have a stronger flavor, and have a clearer taste than those found in stores.
Tsukiyomi's one has a particularly good fragrance, so I have it every season.

Farmers involved with Taishoji often recommend things they have never used or seen for the first time.
What's going on at Chandra e Chandino, an organic farm in Kumamoto that grows herbs and Italian vegetables? When you call out to them, they will bring you herbs you have never heard of or flowers of herbs that have just bloomed.

→Next time is Dan Utsunomiya (metalsmith).

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