wagasi

Traditional Japan confections, called wagasi, have a delicate sweetness that dissolves in the mouth. Intended to please the eye as much as the palate, they are crafted to reflect the four seasons, so many different kinds are produced at specific times of the year. Spring wagasi are formed into shapes that reflect the exuberance and glory of this season.

Transparent jelly is used to give summer treats according appearance. This wagasi is intended to evoke the feel of water weed waving in a chilly stream.

Traditional autumn confections reflect the colours of the turning leaves and seasonal fruits. The onset of winter is represented by wagasi like these.

Traditional confections are almost always made by hand. With a delicate touch, the ingredients are fashioned into exquisite representations of nature's beauty. Confectionery craftsmen often use sophisticated techniques to make to colours look more natural. Seen close-up , the petals of this cherry-blossom wagasi look slightly paler in the centre. Some white dough is sandwiched between two layers of pink dough, and the wrapped around a ball of sweet bean paste. This creates a delicate colour gradation, with the white layer gleaming faintly through the pink. Traditional confectioners draw on skills of this kind to express the beauty of nature in each season in a subtle way.

In ancient times, very few sweet things were available in Japan, so nuts and fruits were highly prized.

Some time around the 8th century, simple confections were brought into Japan from China. Their ingredients were rice and flour, and they were deep-fried.

In the mid-16th century, a major revolution occurred in the history of Japanese confections. European trading ships arrived, bringing confections using a lot of sugar,which,up to that time, had been a rare delicacy in Japan.
Confections using a lots of sugar were widely considered as luxuries, and in the middle of the Edo period they became very popular. As a result, a profusion of wagasi were produced. As time went by,the wagasi connected with the tea ceremony, traditional aristocratic culture and various annual events gradually developed into beautiful confections that can truly be described as "edible art".

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