The World of Essential Ingredients for New Year's Wagashi Making
The wagashi that adorn the New Year embody Japanese tradition and artisan craftsmanship.
Red-and-white gyuhi, glossy kuri-kinton, chewy mochi confections—these celebratory sweets are supported by carefully selected raw materials and reliable production methods. New Year's wagashi making calls for diverse raw materials, from basic ingredients such as glutinous rice and joshin-ko to auspicious ingredients such as yuzu and chestnuts.
In this article, focusing on the materials handled by Minoyo, an expert in wagashi raw materials, we provide a thorough guide covering everything from choosing raw materials for New Year's wagashi to storage methods and blending tips. Why not put the know-how that professional wagashi artisans practice to work in your own wagashi making?
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Basic Ingredients for Mochi Confections | How to Choose Glutinous Rice and Joshin-ko
The foundation of New Year's mochi confection making is glutinous rice and joshin-ko.
Glutinous rice has strong stickiness and is indispensable as a raw material for mochi and gyuhi. Because viscosity and flavor differ by variety, selecting according to the application is important. Joshin-ko, on the other hand, is made by grinding non-glutinous rice, and is used for the outer coating of kashiwa-mochi, kusa-mochi, and more.
At Minoyo, in our category of materials and toppings for shiruko, we offer top-grade white an such as Tokuichigo Sarashi-an and Fujijirushi Sarashi-an in 12kg specifications. These sarashi-an are top-grade products made by carefully refining adzuki beans, characterized by a clean, elegant sweetness and smooth mouthfeel with no off-flavors. As an for oshiruko and high-end wagashi, they deliver quality befitting New Year's celebratory sweets.
How to Choose Glutinous Rice and Key Points for Storage
When choosing glutinous rice, pay attention to the region of production and the degree of milling. Glutinous rice from Niigata and Akita prefectures offers an excellent balance of stickiness and flavor.
The basic rule for storage is to place it in an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dark place. Avoiding high heat and humidity maintains quality over a long period. After opening, we recommend using it up within 1 to 2 months.
The Characteristics and Uses of Joshin-ko
Joshin-ko's texture changes depending on the particle size!
Finely ground joshin-ko gives a smooth finish, while coarser joshin-ko gives a chewy texture. Medium-ground joshin-ko is suited to kashiwa-mochi, while finely ground is suited to kusa-mochi. The appeal of joshin-ko is that you can freely control its softness simply by adjusting the moisture content.
The Key to Making Gyuhi | How to Use Shiratama-ko and Starches
Red-and-white gyuhi is a New Year's standard wagashi. What creates its smooth texture is shiratama-ko.
Shiratama-ko is a flour made by soaking glutinous rice in water, grinding it, letting it settle, and drying it, and it achieves the chewy, springy texture unique to gyuhi. The various starches handled by Minoyo offer a wide lineup, from top-grade products such as hon-warabi-ko, hon-kuzu, and Zuiichi Hon-kuzu, to potato starch and wheat starch—all indispensable to making translucent wagashi.
Hon-warabi-ko is a top-grade product made from 100% hon-warabi starch, characterized by a distinctive translucency and elastic texture. As an indispensable raw material for authentic warabi-mochi making, it is used by high-end wagashi shops. Hon-kuzu starches such as Yoshino kuzu offer a beautifully translucent finish and a smooth, elegant texture, making them ideal for wagashi such as kuzu-mochi and kuzu-kiri.
Blending Ratio and Water Adjustment for Shiratama-ko
In gyuhi making, the ratio of shiratama-ko, sugar, and water determines the finish. The basic blend is 150 to 200g of sugar and 150 to 180ml of water per 100g of shiratama-ko.
More moisture gives a softer finish, while less gives a firmer one. Fine adjustment is needed depending on the season and humidity; in winter, making the moisture slightly higher makes it easier to handle. When kneading, the trick is to add the water little by little so it doesn't clump.
Types of Starch and Differences in Translucency
Depending on the type of starch, the translucency and texture of wagashi change significantly. Hon-kuzu has the highest translucency and gives an elegant finish. Potato starch is reasonably priced and easy to handle, making it suitable for beginners too.
Wheat starch (uki-ko) comes in handy when you want to produce a chewy texture. At Minoyo, we offer these starches in specifications such as 5kg×3, 5kg×4, 10kg, 20kg, and 25kg, ensuring stable quality with bulk commercial packaging.
How to Choose Auspicious Ingredients | Making the Most of Yuzu, Chestnuts, and Plums
Indispensable to New Year's wagashi are seasonal auspicious ingredients.
The refreshing aroma of yuzu, the elegant sweetness of chestnuts, the bright tartness of plums—these ingredients add color and flavor to New Year's celebratory sweets. In Minoyo's fruit category, we have a full range of high-quality yuzu-related products made with domestic yuzu—yuzu slices, yuzu jam, fresh yuzu paste, yuzu juice, and more—all requiring refrigerated or frozen storage.
Types of Yuzu Ingredients and Their Uses
Yuzu slices are offered in 11kg specifications and are ideal as a topping for yokan and nama-gashi. Characterized by yuzu's refreshing aroma and moderate tartness, they keep their freshness under refrigerated storage.
Yuzu jam is available in 2kg and 20kg specifications, letting you enjoy a rich yuzu flavor. It can be used in a wide range of applications, such as mixing it into an or combining it with cream. Fresh yuzu paste comes in 11kg specifications—a raw material made by pureeing whole fresh yuzu. The aroma of the peel and the tartness of the juice balance exquisitely, letting you add authentic yuzu flavor to wagashi.
Choosing Chestnut and Plum Products
For chestnut and plum products, we offer marron kanroni extra-soft grade,marron kanroni first grade, Shibukawa-guri Kanro-ni, and other processed chestnut products. Marron Kanro-ni Extra-Soft Grade is candied chestnuts simmered carefully until tender, characterized by a texture that crumbles gently in the mouth and an elegant sweetness.
Ume Kanro-ni is made by carefully simmering fully ripened plums, with an exquisite balance between the plum's natural tartness and sweetness. It is used as an accent in wagashi. These processed products are offered in specifications such as 500g, 900g×10P, 2kg, 9kg, 9·1/06, and 18·1/06, allowing you to choose according to your application.
Colorings and Natural Materials That Add Color
The beauty of wagashi lies in its delicate expression of color.
In Minoyo's colorings category, we carry paste types such as Neri Hon-beni, Neri Ki-iro, Neri Ao-iro, and Neri Hiki-cha-iro, along with powder types such as Red No. 3, Ouka-beni, Blue No. 1, Yellow No. 4, Shin Azuki-iro, Hiki-cha-iro, Tokusei Kusa-ao-iro, Tokusei Chocolate-iro, and bamboo charcoal powder. These are naturally derived colorings that add beautiful color to wagashi, offered in specifications such as 50g, 150g, 200g, 500g, 600g, and 1kg.
In leaves and other plant materials, we offer natural materials for wrapping wagashi or adding aroma, such as dried oak leaves, Tokusen Kashiwa Ao-ba, Aomori bamboo leaves, sakura green leaves, and salt-pickled cherry blossoms. Salt-pickled cherry blossoms come in 1kg×10 specifications; they are used after desalting in water and are indispensable as a decoration for sakura-mochi and spring nama-gashi.
How to Choose Colorings and Usage Amounts
Paste-type colorings produce vivid coloring in small amounts. Neri Hon-beni is available in 150g and 600g specifications and is used for the red portions of red-and-white mochi and gyuhi.
Powder types are used by dissolving in water, making concentration adjustment easy. Hiki-cha-iro can express green while adding the flavor of matcha, giving New Year's wagashi an elegant touch of color. As a guideline, use about 0.1 to 0.5% relative to the amount of an or batter, but adjust according to the depth of color you want.
Evoke Aroma and Atmosphere with Natural Materials
Kashiwa (oak) leaves are a traditional material used for kashiwa-mochi, offered in specifications of 100 sheets × 40 bundles. Rehydrating them in water before use revives the fresh aroma of oak.
Aomori bamboo leaves come in specifications of 50 sheets × 100 bundles, used for wrapping sasa dango and sasa-mochi; the refreshing aroma unique to bamboo leaf transfers to the wagashi. These natural materials give wagashi not only visual beauty but also the added value of aroma.
Blending Tips and Storage Methods Practiced by Professionals
What determines success or failure in wagashi making is the blending of materials and storage management.
As Minoyo's original products, we offer the "Tomo" series that simplifies wagashi production, including Warabi-gashi no Tomo, Kuzu-gashi no Tomo, Mushi-yokan no Tomo, Mizu-manju no Tomo, Warabi-manju no Tomo, Shin Kuzu-mochi no Tomo, Kuzu-yokan no Tomo, Hasu-ko no Tomo, and Kyo Warabi Sui-ka. These are offered in 1kg and 10kg specifications and support the making of wagashi with stable quality.
Adjusting Blends According to the Season
The New Year period in winter has low temperatures and low humidity. In this environment, adjusting the moisture content slightly higher makes it easier to retain softness.
Because gyuhi and mochi confections tend to harden when the room temperature is low, raising the sugar blending ratio helps maintain flexibility. Conversely, when working in a heated room, the standard blend is fine. Fine adjustments mindful of temperature and humidity are what achieve a professional finish.
Proper Storage Management of Raw Materials
Flours dislike moisture. Place them in an airtight container and store them in a cool, dark place along with a desiccant.
Yuzu paste andChestnut Kanroniand other processed products basically require refrigerated or frozen storage. After opening, sealing them with plastic wrap so they don't contact the air and using them up quickly is the key to maintaining quality. Colorings can be used over a long period by avoiding direct sunlight and storing them airtight. Proper storage management preserves the materials' original flavor and quality.
See Minoyo's Product List Here
Please feel free to consult us about commercial procurement and sample requests
Minoyo is a specialty store for Kyoto confectionery raw materials based in Kyoto. For the raw materials covered in this article, we offer proposals close to the realities of wagashi production, including commercial procurement, trial samples, and consultation on lots and specifications.
For Minoyo's business and strengths, please see Our Business & Why We Are Chosen . For the actual flow of doing business, see Ordering Process & How to Order; for questions, we have compiled them at Frequently Asked Questions . For individual consultations, please use Contact or material download to get in touch.
