Japanese sweets
Traditional Japanese sweets ( Japanese 和 菓子 wagashi ) are made from purely vegetable raw materials.
These sweets include senbei (rice crackers) and daifuku (balls made from mochi and anko ). The name of the classic Wagashi is usually a natural beauty or a word from classic literature.
Also in the tea ceremony are Okashi (the O is a Honorativpräfix ) enough, because the green powdered tea ( matcha ) tastes somewhat bitter and the sweet serves as compensation. Choosing a wagashi that is right for the season shows the host's level of education.
Omogashi is a type of thick tea candy. The preparation is usually done with red bean paste (anko), sugar , rice flour and agar-agar . Higashi ( 干 菓子 ) is for thin green tea. The brightly colored sugar cake reflects the seasons in its design.
Western sweets are known as yogashi ( 洋 菓子 ) in Japan . This includes things as diverse as imported Haribo bags and Oreo biscuits to Sachertorte .
history
The origin of the Wagashi is unclear. Charred remains that appear to have come from baked cookies were found in an excavation at a Jōmon period settlement .
Before sugar was introduced in the 16th century , Wagashi were sweetened with mizuame , suikazura, or fresh or dried fruits. Diaries and records from this and earlier times tell us how much people valued dried fruits such as persimmons or raisins from wild vines. Even today, the dried persimmon is used as a benchmark for the sweetness of Wagashi, which is to be achieved. During the era of the Namban trade , the Spanish and Portuguese introduced western sweets ( Nambangashi ) such as Castella cakes and Kompeitō sugar confectionary, which are also considered traditional Japanese sweets today.
During the Edo period , sugar cane was increasingly grown in Okinawa , and both low-quality brown sugar and highly refined white sugar became available. One type of sugar, wasanbon , was perfected during this time and is still used exclusively for Wagashi today. Wagashi were a popular gift among samurai , much like giving away good wine today.
