Wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets)

One thing that is very beautiful, delicious and Japanese is wagashi. Now, you're probably wondering what on earth wagashi is. Well, as written in the title, wagashi is a traditional Japanese sweet. It is often eaten with a cup of green tea and often reflects the season that it was made it. So, for example, wagashi made in autumn may have autumnal colours or shaped like a leaf.

Making wagashi is considered an art. Wagashi evokes the seasons and landscapes of Japan and appeal to all of the senses. The appearance will appeal to sight, the scent to smell, handling of the sweet to touch, the musical name which sometimes is associated with the seasons and of course, the taste of it.

There are many types of wagashi. Here is a list of some of my favorites;

• Anmitsu (Chilled jelly-like cubes with fruit and sometimes a sweet syrup)

Anmitsu with azuki paste, black syrup and green tea

• Amanatto (Sugar coated beans)
• Dango (Mochi balls skewered on a stick)

Coloured dango
By gochie* (花より・・・) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

• Dorayaki (Two small pancakes containing azuki bean paste)



Dorayaki
By Ocdp (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

• Kuri kinton (Sweet chestnut paste)
• Taiyaki (A fried waffle containing azuki bean paste)

Taiyaki
By ProjectManhattan (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

• Yokan (A solid block of azuki bean paste, solidified with agar and sugar)

Recently I have been trying some different wagashi. One of them is called 甘納豆 (amanatto) or sugar coated azuki beans.

It came in this really pretty box

The contents

Daifuku bean

Azuki beans with a cup of green tea

Uguisu beans

Opinion: They were sweet but not too sweet and were absolutely delicious with some green tea. Unfortunately, you cannot buy amanatto in the UK so if you are in Japan, definitely try and find some because they are delicious.

Also, I tried some yokan too.

Here is the box

Once you remove the paper packaging, this is what it looks like

Once you open the box, this is what the yokan packaging looks like

I only tried the honey flavored yokan

And this is what yokan looks like

Opinion: I found it very tasty, it was sweet but not unbearably sweet. I would compare it to a really hard jelly baby. Green tea really goes well with it.

So if you are around in Japan, go and try some wagashi. I recommend the Toraya shop in Ginza and the number of shops in Asakusa.