Cultural Corner

Have you ever wondered about...

Japanese Cuisine?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Also from previous Cultural Corner articles
Photos by Don Nishimoto

(In Four Parts)

By Emy Murakawa

Part IV

Sweets

Wagashi - Japanese-style sweets Hanabiramochi - It is made by placing a flat red mochi (rice cake) on top of a white one, then folding into a semicircular shape and filling with sweetly flavoured burdock and soybean jam. The red color showing through the white mochi is not only appropriate to the celebration of the new year but is meant to remind us of the charms of the plum (ume) blossom. The original form of Hanabiramochi is Hishihanabira, a dessert that was eaten by the Imperial family at special events coinciding with the beginning of the year. The burdock represents pressed ayu, a fish exclusive to the Asian area, and a prayer for a long life. Matsunoyuki (literally, pine snow) - a Japanese sweet in the shape of a pine tree, made by sprinkling ground caramelo (foam candy) on to a dark green gyuu (Turkish delight, which is made from starch and sugar. A main ingredient is rosewater, although some are made with lemon.). Matsunoyuki is intended to illustrate snow on a pine tree, a symbol of long life and a strong life force

Anmitsu with fruit and ice cream

• Ginbou - looks just like a dried Japanese persimmon (hoshigaki), and can be made by filling gyuuhi(Turkish delight) with an and sprinkling white sugar over it.
  
• Anmitsu - a traditional Japanese dessert. They are small, jelly cubes made from agar, a white, translucent jelly made from seaweed, usually served with an, beans and various fruit.  It can also be served with just a syrup and beans.  A more modern version is the anmitsu topped with ice cream.
  
• Anpan - bread with sweet bean in the center
  
• Mochi - steamed sweet rice pounded into a solid mass
  
• Manju - sticky rice or pastry surrounding a sweet bean center
  
• Dango - rice dumpling
  
• Kakigori – the Japanese snow cone
  
• Oshiruko - a warm, sweet red bean (an) soup with mochi (rice cake) in it
  
• Uiro - a steamed cake made of rice flour
  
• Taiyaki - a fried, fish-shaped cake, usually with a sweet filling such as an - red bean paste
  
• Imagawayaki - also known as 'Taikoyaki' is a round Taiyaki and fillings are the same
  
• Hoshigaki - dried persimmon fruit
  

• Dagashi - Simple Japanese-style sweets
  
  • Karumetou - brown sugar cake. Also called Karumeyaki
    
  • Ramune - sweet candy that melts in your mouth
    
  • Sosu Senbei - thin wafers eaten with shoyu sauce
    
  • Umaibou - puffed corn food with various flavors
    
• Yogashi - Western-style sweets
  
  • Kasutera - sponge cake.  My mother used to make a kasutera roll, which was a very thin sponge cake with a lima bean an (colored pink or green) layer rolled and sliced.
    
  • mirucurepu - "mille crepe" - layered crepe
    
  • kompeito - crystal sugar candy
    
  • Matcha Ai-su (Green tea ice cream) - green tea flavored ice cream
    
  • Azuki Ai-su (Azuki beans ice cream) - vanilla flavored ice cream with sweet Azuki beans
  • Kintoki – snow cone with azuki bean topping

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