blog
Making winter wagashi calls for materials unique to the season. The refreshing aroma of yuzu, the refined sweetness of adzuki beans, the mealy texture of chestnuts—these winter materials offer flavors that shine precisely because of the cold season.
On this day, which wishes for the healthy growth of girls, gorgeous wagashi are essential. The three colors of hishi mochi, the pale peach of sakura mochi, the gentle sweetness of shirozake—these wagashi make the Hinamatsuri table special not only through visual beauty but also through flavors and fragrances that herald the arrival of spring.
Botamochi is a traditional Japanese wagashi essential to the spring equinox (higan). Named after the botan (peony) flower, this wagashi is made by coating a mochi-rice dough with adzuki-bean an.
If you are going to make warabi mochi, start with choosing your ingredients. The ingredients needed for authentic warabi mochi are actually very simple. Just three—warabi starch, sugar, and water—create that translucent, chewy texture. However, the selection and balance of these three ingredients greatly affect the finished result.
The most important thing in making summer wagashi is to convey coolness through appearance and texture. Using translucent materials lets you express refreshment both visually and in taste. Especially noteworthy are traditional materials such as hon-warabi-ko, hon-kuzu, and agar.
Hon-kuzu (kudzu starch) and hon-warabi-ko (true bracken starch) are essential to making wagashi. Both are known for a beautifully translucent finish, but their raw materials and textures are entirely different. Kuzu mochi and warabi mochi are both popular as cooling summer sweets, but did you know the powder you use greatly changes the flavor?
Do you eat the leaf on kashiwa mochi, or not? From correct example answers to give customers, to the types and selection of commercial oak leaves (kashiwa and sarutoriibara) and tips for storage, this is a thorough professional explanation. The long-established Minoyo offers tips on purchasing and improving efficiency ahead of Tango no Sekku.
Meta description (approx. 115 characters) The long-established grain-processing manufacturer Minoyo thoroughly explains the appeal and ingredient characteristics of Tamba Dainagon adzuki beans. From processing suitability—large grains that hold their shape when simmered—to historical value and nutrition, it covers information useful for developing high-value-added products. A must-read for confectionery, bakery, and food professionals considering commercial purchasing or sample requests.
From how to choose commercial kinako (roasted soybean flour) to recipes for using it, the grain-processing specialist Minoyo offers a thorough explanation. In addition to how it differs from consumer-grade products, its nutritional value, and tips for menu development, we introduce the appeal of high-quality kinako made possible only by our own roasting plant (Hokkaido-grown, black soybean, made-to-order). A must-read for confectionery, bakery, and food development professionals. Why not raise your product's value with carefully chosen ingredients? Inquiries about purchasing and sample requests are welcome here.
明治35年創業、京都「美濃与」の大豆焙煎所。生の国産大豆を仕入れ、焙煎から製粉まで自社の大豆専用工場で行っています。
Ceremonial sweets and everyday sweets call for different roles from their ingredients. Using concrete wagashi ingredients such as domyoji-ko, jouyo-ko (yam flour), kinako, and adzuki beans as examples, this article organizes the thinking behind ingredients suited to special ceremonial sweets and those easy to use every day. The content can serve as a basis for product design and ingredient selection.
Domyoji-ko is a commercial processed-rice ingredient used in wagashi such as sakura mochi. It has an excellent balance of grain texture and stickiness, and tends to keep a stable texture even when cooled. Grades such as fine domyoji, medium-coarse, whole grain, and roasted domyoji are available, allowing you to use them according to purpose and desired finish.
Shiga Habutae Mochi (polished) is a commercial glutinous rice ingredient that is easy to use in wagashi and mochi confections. Its whiteness and texture are consistent, and it can be used widely, from daifuku and gyuhi to ceremonial sweets.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions about raw materials or products, or to request materials.
Our dedicated staff will respond with care.
