Exploring Winter Wagashi: Traditional Japanese Sweets for the Cold Season

As the holidays approach, winter is almost upon us. Among all the festivities that go on in Japan lies an ancient tradition that’s as much a part of the season as anything else. This custom is the eating and sharing of winter wagashi.

In this post, we’ll introduce you to the world of traditional Japanese wintertime sweets. You’ll learn how seasonal ingredients are used to craft these treats and where to find them in Japan.

What is Wagashi? An Introduction to Japanese Sweets

Wagashi is the term for traditional Japanese sweets or confections. These sweets are the go-to companions for green tea in Japan. They can be sugary, savory, and even tart, depending on the ingredients. They also come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

The common ingredients used to make wagashi are anko (sweet red bean paste), mochi (rice cakes), and glutinous rice flour. Mochi is often considered the basis of Japanese traditional sweets. It’s a soft rice cake that can be served plain or filled with ingredients like anko, whipped cream, custard, and even chocolate. However, seasonality plays a huge role in the kind of additional ingredients wagashi contains.

Although Japanese people have been enjoying traditional confections since before the 8th century, modern wagashi emerged in the Edo period (1603-1868). Sweet-makers created these treats in all kinds of beautiful shapes and colors. Today, thanks to the meticulous techniques passed down through generations, people all over the world appreciate these sweets for their intricate craftsmanship.

Most types of wagashi are available all year and in every part of Japan. However, some of them are only made in certain regions or during specific seasons. Our focus in this article will be wintertime wagashi and the seasonal ingredients used to make them.

Winter Wagashi: Celebrating the Flavors of the Season

Winter wagashi are the highlights of the seasonal ingredients and flavors of the season. During this period, people enjoy sweets made from winter produce, such as strawberry, apple, and orange. They also offer them to friends and family as gifts during the holidays and on birthdays.

Confectioneries in Japan have different ways to incorporate these ingredients, depending on the snack they want to make. Some boil the ingredient and sweeten it with white or brown sugar syrup, as is common when making sweet filling for mochi. If the ingredient is a leaf from a seasonal plant, the common practice is to simply pickle or salt the leaf and wrap it around the snack.

Another simple way to incorporate winter ingredients is to chop them up or add them whole as filling. This method is used in making strawberry daifuku. Sweet makers can also mix these ingredients in the dough used to make wagashi. One last method we must mention is coating. The ingredients are ground into powder form and used to coat the main dough.

Popular Winter Ingredients in Japanese Wagashi

Let’s explore some of the key winter ingredients used to bring depth to these seasonal wagashi. Many of them are also common in other kinds of traditional dishes, thanks to their diversity and health benefits. Check out our list below.

• Yuzu: This is one of the most common ingredients in Japanese plant-based sweets. Yuzu is a small citrus fruit, and it can be used in two ways. Firstly, the tart juice can be squeezed out and used to make jelly for the sweets. The second method is to crystalize yuzu skin in sugar and use it in candies and mochi.

• Chestnut: This is Japan’s go-to nut flavor in the fall and winter. Chestnut puree is an earthy and nutty paste made by simmering the nuts in vanilla and sweetened milk. The puree is then mixed with flour to make dough for all kinds of kneaded treats, including neriki wagashi.

• Strawberry: Ichigo, or strawberry, is arguably the most common ingredient used in winter wagashi. This sweet and slightly tangy fruit is stuffed into glutinous rice cakes to make desserts.

• Black beans: Sweet bean paste filling is a core component of traditional sweets. Red beans and white beans are virtually in all of them. However, in winter, black soybeans start to make an appearance. They are often cooked in sweet syrup to create kuromame, a popular Japanese New Year food.

• Camellia flowers: The camellia is a symbolic tea plant in Japan. It can be pickled and wrapped around wagashi or boiled into a syrup.

• Mikan: This is a mandarin orange that’s famous in Japan’s Kyushu and Shikoku areas, especially towards the end of each year. When used in a traditional Japanese sweet, the orange is peeled and coated with red bean paste sandwiched between other ingredients. Mikan adds a sweet and fruity taste to winter wagashi.

• Apple: These fruits are used in all kinds of pies, pudding, and candied treats. They’re often sliced, boiled in sugar, and added to winter wagashi.

Traditional Winter Wagashi Varieties to Try

Now that we know the common winter wagashi ingredients, it's time to explore the most popular sweets people make using them.

• Camellia domyoji: This sweet is made by steaming domyoji rice powder, mixing it with sugar, and boiling in water before wrapping the snack in camellia leaves. The leaves are not edible and are purely decorative. The snack they hold resembles a snowball. Hence, it’s a perfect match for winter-themed events.

• Strawberry daifuku: Also known as strawberry mochi, this dessert is popular in spring and winter. It’s made by filling mochi with small-sized strawberries and red or white bean paste.

• Mikan daifuku: Similar to the above, this treat consists of bean paste fillings wrapped in mochi rice cakes.

• Camellia mochi: This is simply mochi wrapped in decorative camelia leaves.

• Kiri sansho: In December and the New Year, Japanese confectionery stores sell thick, rectangular mochi-like snacks known as kiri sansho. These white and pink desserts are made with sugar and a popular Japanese pepper known as sansho.

• Saka manju: Sake (Japanese rice wine) manufacturing leaves a by-product, a mash known as sakadane. This by-product can be mixed and fermented with flour and sugar to form a chewy confectionery known as saka manju. 

• Chitose ame: This is a stick-shaped candy made using glutinous rice, water, and barley. It makes an appearance in On Shichi Go San, a festival for young children in Japan

• Inoko mochi: This mochi variety takes the shape of a rugby ball. It’s also coated with roasted soy flour, giving it a nutty texture.

The Art of Seasonal Presentation in Wagashi

Confectionery makers in Japan use the presentation of wagashi to reflect the changing seasons. From December to February, they focus on winter-inspired designs, colors, and shapes when making wagashi.

Artisan makers decorate their products with beautiful patterns and designs that match the theme of the season. Some winter wagashi are designed to symbolize or represent snow. Others are produced in red and white colors, the symbolic representation of celebration and good luck.

Flowers also play an important role in these treats. For example, plum blossoms are the first blossom of the new year. Hence, it’s often used as a reflection of the changing season.

Where to Find Winter Wagashi in Japan

Let’s look at where you can find these sweets. We’ll cover everything from specialty wagashi shops to cafes or tea houses. Check them out.

• Miyabian (Tokyo): This is a specialty shop famous for its artisan and beautifully crafted wagashi.

• Kagizen Yoshifusa (Kyoto): This is a local sweets shop founded in the 18th century. It heavily relies on ancient traditional sweet-making techniques.

• Ginza Fugetsudo (Tokyo): The brand is famous for making fresh wagashi using seasonal ingredients.

• Wad Omotenashi Cafe (Osaka): The cafe sells premium tea, wagashi, rice crackers, and other kinds of desserts. It’s next to a popular ceramics gallery.

Winter Wagashi and Japanese Festivals

Winter wagashi are at the core of seasonal events and festivals in Japan. Certain sweets are staples in traditional festivities, such as kagami mochi, a decorative snack used in New Year celebrations.

Winter wagashi can be used as a coloful symbol. Red and white are the most famous sweet colors in the holidays because of what they symbolize.

People also offer winter wagashi to family, friends, and co-workers. The artisanal nature of some of these treats helps to improve their value as gifts.

How to Enjoy Winter Wagashi: Pairings and Serving Suggestions

The following are tips to help you get the best out of Japanese sweets:

• Use sweet wagashi to counter the bitterness of tea. The more bitter the tea, the sweeter the wagashi.

• Before eating the wagashi, take your time to savor the appearance and aroma.

• In tea ceremonies, eat the sweets in bite-sized pieces and not all at once.

• Take a bite first before drinking the tea.

• You can serve wagashi with ice cream or cake to enhance the experience.

• Green tea is the best beverage to pair with wagashi, particularly matcha.

Winter Wagashi: A Timeless Tradition for Modern Palates

Winter wagashi embodies the essence of the season and brings warmth and joy during the colder months. Every time you take a bite of these treats, you’re celebrating the cultural and culinary importance of sweets in Japan.

With a Bokksu Snack Box Subscription, you can get access to a steady supply of wagashi. We’ll send you a box of carefully curated and authentic snacks and sweets from Japan every month.