Direct translation of ‘WAGASHI’ is Japanese sweet. There many sweets covered under WAGASHI, including rice cracker, mochi cake, steamed bun stuffed with sweet azuki bean, steamed cake, candy,…I am not going to define it right now in this small space.
After moving to America what I miss from time to time is Nerikiri-gashi. Nerikiri-gashi was developed during Edo period for the tea ceremony occasion. The cooked and sweetened white beans are strengthened with gyuhi rice, colored and shaped in seasonal theme. The inside stuffing of Nerikiri tends to be sweetened azuki bean paste. So, no matter how beautifully colored and shaped they are every piece you enjoy taste….exactly the same….it is not, though, disappointing, but rather exciting. I posted here one photo of collection of nerikiri which I took at Nishiki Koji market in Kyoto.
This rainy Saturday was perfect to force myself to prepare Nerikiri, whose preparation takes long hours, labor and attention to detail. Anyway I could produce 2 colored Nerikiri base – purplish pink one and green one. I also made the azuki paste for stuffing.
Here is the photo of the result.
Nishiki Koji Market Nerikiri
