Wagashi.UK

Wagashi.UKWagashi.UKWagashi.UK

Wagashi.UK

Wagashi.UKWagashi.UKWagashi.UK
  • Home
  • Wagashi Blog
  • Sake Guide
  • Green Tea Guide
  • About
  • More
    • Home
    • Wagashi Blog
    • Sake Guide
    • Green Tea Guide
    • About
  • Home
  • Wagashi Blog
  • Sake Guide
  • Green Tea Guide
  • About

Wagashi.UK

Wagashi.UKWagashi.UKWagashi.UK

A Trip to Japanese Sweets, Sake and Treats

Wagashi.UK

Wagashi.UKWagashi.UKWagashi.UK

A Trip to Japanese Sweets, Sake and Treats

ようこそ

Youkoso! 

Welcome to Wagashi.uk — dedicated to Japanese sweets and treats, sights and culture. Take your time to look around and learn all there is to know. 

What is 'Wagashi'?

To put it most simply, Wagashi (和菓子) can be described as Japanese confectionary or sweets – "wa" (和) meaning "Japanese" and "kashi" (菓子) being sweets. But there's a lot more to it than that. 


Wagashi developed over the centuries part of the traditional green tea ceremony  – or Sado (茶道)  – also known as "Cha nou yoo" or "The Way of Tea."  Traditional Wagashi is centuries-old and harks back to the days before the Meiji Restoration in the 19th century. In fact, the word only came into use in the late 19th century, serving to differentiate domestic sweets from novel imports flowing in from Europe and America. Most of theWagashi enjoyed today have been around in some form or other for centuries – and the skilled confectioners often make use of ingredients and methods that are largely or wholly unique to Japan. 


Wagashi has been described as an 'art of the five senses'. You are encouraged to appreciate the experience in terms of all sight, smell, sound, touch and of course, taste. There are three key aspects of Wagashi which set it apart: 

Ceremonial

Ceremonial

Ceremonial

The tea ceremony (茶道, sadō or chadō, lit. "the way of tea") has a rich history and Japan's sweets developed along the way. Green 'Macha' and 'Sencha' teas share a delicate and subtle flavour which is reflected in Wagashi.

Seasonal

Ceremonial

Ceremonial

While many Wagashi are there to be enjoyed at any time of the year, seasonality is central. Times of year are reflected both in the ingredients and the designs, colours, themes. Through Wagashi, we celebrate the passing of the seasons.

Natural

Ceremonial

Natural

Beautiful colours are achieved with fine quality plant-based ingredients rather than artificial additions. Macha powder develops into bright greens; unique sweet potatoes form deep purples, and hazel browns derive from chestnuts or even bracken.

Varieties

Dorayaki

Kompeito

Kompeito

Dorayaki is a Round and flat cake that consists of sweet red bean paste sandwiched between two layers of baked fluffy sponge with castella, wrapped around anko paste

Kompeito

Kompeito

Kompeito

Crystallised sugar, attractively presented in seasonal colours. Konpeito sugar candy was imported to Japan from Portugal in the 16th century

Taiyaki

Kompeito

Taiyaki

 Waffles shaped like fish and filled with anko red bean paste. Taiyaki is a form of similar imagawayaki snacks originally served in a round shell

Yokan

Daifuku

Taiyaki

 A sweet red bean jelly. Yokan is a bar of gelled sweet bean paste made chiefly of azuki beans, sugar, and agar. It is one of the most traditional and historical Japanese sweets

Daifuku

Daifuku

Daifuku

 Sticky round dumplings of mochi rice cake with various bean or paste filling. Fruits Daifuku is devilishly wrapped around slices or whole pieces of fresh fruit

Dango

Daifuku

Daifuku

    Steamed ball-shaped cakes often in shapes from nature, Dango is usually presented in threes on a stick, sometimes dipped in sauces such as sweet green matcha syrup

Warabi Mochi

Warabi Mochi

Warabi Mochi

  A jelly-like sweet developed with bracken starch and served with kinako roasted soybean flour, Warabi Mochi is a uniquely Japanese creation

Yatsuhashi

Warabi Mochi

Warabi Mochi

 Yatsuhashi involves colourful thin sheets of glutinous rice mochi flavoured with cinnamon or green tea or with red bean paste in the centre

Kuri Kinton

Warabi Mochi

Kuri Kinton

A sweet seasonal mixture of boiled and partially mashed golden chestnuts

Kusa Mochi

    Mochi

    Sakura Mochi

    Sakura Mochi

       The classic sweet, sticky, pounded-rice cake available in innumerable flavours and often inspired by the seasons

    Sakura Mochi

    Sakura Mochi

    Sakura Mochi

     Sakura Mochi is a pink springtime wrapped in iconic and wholly edible sakura cherry blossom leaves

    Kashiwa Mochi

    Sakura Mochi

    Kashiwa Mochi

      A chewy rice cake, Kashiwa Mochi is traditional for Children's Day. This mochi is wrapped in Japanese Emperor Oak

    Kusa Mochi

    Kusa Mochi

    Kashiwa Mochi

      A vibrant green mochi made from glutinous rice flour blended with yomogi Japanese mugwart 

    Manju

    Kusa Mochi

    Joyo Manju

       Steamed little bun cakes made with flour, rice powder, kudzu or buckwheat. Manju are sweet take take on savoury buns imported from China hundreds of years before

    Joyo Manju

    Kusa Mochi

    Joyo Manju

    Sugar and rice flour with Chinese yam to develop a plump dough surrounding adzuki beans

    Kuri Manju

    Kuri Manju

    Kuri Manju

    A traditional chestnut bun,  topped with egg yolk and oven baked until golden brown

    Monaka

    Kuri Manju

    Kuri Manju

    Crispy golden wafers with imprinted with designs. Traditionally filled with azuki bean, chestnut, or citrus pastes, monaka today is often served as an ice cream cone sandwich

    Kintsuba

    Kuri Manju

    Shiruko and Zenzai

     Large grained azuki beans marinated in molasses and baked into firm, delectable ovals. Kintsuba takes its name and shape from the rounded sword guards of the Samurai

    Shiruko and Zenzai

    Shiruko and Zenzai

    Shiruko and Zenzai

    Reminiscent of a hot soup - but served as a dessert - these treats feature boiled adzuki beans and sugar, topped with rice cakes or dumplings

    Castella

    Shiruko and Zenzai

    And many more...

    Based on egg-and-flour cakes brought to Nagasaki by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century, castella is technically a Nanban-Gashi

    And many more...

    Shiruko and Zenzai

    And many more...

    New confections are coming out all the time in Japan. More items to follow!

    The Complete Sake Guide
    The Complete Green Tea Guide

    Sign Up to the Weekly Blog

    • Privacy Policy

    Wagashi.UK

    Copyright © 2023 Wagashi.UK - All Rights Reserved.