The Charm of Wagashi That Adorn the Peach Festival
March 3rd, the Peach Festival (Momo no Sekku).
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.
As a wagashi (traditional Japanese confectionery) artisan, what I value most in making wagashi for the Peach Festival is the balance of "color" and "flavor." Reproducing traditional hues while bringing out the ingredients' inherent taste. For that, choosing the raw materials is more important than anything.
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How to Choose the Cherry Leaves Essential to Sakura Mochi
Sakura mochi is a classic wagashi of the Peach Festival.
Both the Kanto-style Chomeiji and the Kansai-style Domyoji require cherry leaves in common. Sakura green leaves are offered in a spec of 50 leaves × 100 bundles, characterized by their vivid green color and strong fragrance. Always desalt them before use. Place the cherry leaves in a bowl with plenty of water and soak for about 30 minutes. Change the water once and let them soak for another 30 minutes to an hour, finishing at just the right balance where a slight saltiness remains.
Cherry tea leaves are also prepared in the same spec and are suitable when you want a deeper flavor. Salt-pickled cherry blossoms come in a spec of 1kg × 10; after desalting them in water, they are used as decorations for sakura mochi and spring fresh confections. The way the petals open is beautiful, adding visual splendor.
Domyoji-ko and Sakura Powder for Sakura Mochi
Kansai-style sakura mochi requires domyoji-ko. Because the size of the grains changes the texture, choose according to the use. Sakura powder is a convenient confectionery ingredient made from a paste of cherry blossoms and cherry leaves; mixed into the dough, it finishes in a gentle, spring-like pink. Because the particles are fine, mixing it together with the flours blends it neatly into the dough.
Colorants That Achieve the Three Colors of Hishimochi
The three colors of hishimochi have meaning.
Pink represents peach blossoms, white represents snow, and green represents young leaves, evoking a scene of spring. Reproducing these traditional hues requires naturally derived colorants. Neri Honbeni (kneaded red) is offered in specs of 150g and 600g and is used for the pink layer of hishimochi. Because it produces a vivid pink even in small amounts, it is easy to adjust the shade.
For green, Neri Seishoku (kneaded grass) or Tokusei Kusa Aoiro (grass color) is used. These are naturally derived colorants that add beautiful color to wagashi, with attention paid to safety. For the white layer, no colorant is used; using pure white an (sweet bean paste) such as shiro-sarashi-an or Fuji-jirushi sarashi-an makes the contrast of the three colors stand out.
Using Liquid Types and Powder Types Appropriately
Colorants come in kneaded types and powder types. Liquid pink (neri hanabeni) comes in a 200g spec, mixes easily into high-moisture dough, and achieves a uniform color. On the other hand, powder types such as Red No. 3 (honbeni) and cherry-blossom red (hanabeni) come in specs of 50g and 500g and can be used while adjusting little by little, making them suitable for fine-tuning subtle shades.
Choosing Raw Materials to Create Shirozake Flavor
Shirozake is a traditional beverage of the Peach Festival.
When incorporating shirozake flavor into wagashi, the rice-derived sweetness and flavor are important. Joshin-ko (rice flour) (100% uruchi rice from Nara Prefecture) is offered in 1kg or 500g specs and is ideal as the base for shirozake-flavored wagashi. The rice's natural sweetness and aroma reproduce the flavor of shirozake.
When adding sweetness, use the finest white an such as Tokuichigo sarashi-an or Fuji-jirushi sarashi-an. These are offered in a 12kg spec and are characterized by a refined sweetness free of off-flavors and a smooth mouthfeel. This pure white, beautiful sarashi-an is essential to shirozake-flavored wagashi.
Habutae Mochi for a Chewy Texture
To add a soft, chewy texture to shirozake-flavored wagashi, habutae mochi is suitable. Offered in a spec of 2.2kg × 6, it is used as a raw material for an made with carefully selected ingredients, and is characterized by a smooth mouthfeel and refined sweetness. It pairs well with the gentle flavor of shirozake and achieves a texture that melts in the mouth.
Ways to Use Fruits to Add Color
Seasonal fruits add color to Peach Festival wagashi.
Yuzu slices (refrigerated) come in an 11kg spec and are a raw material of thinly sliced domestic yuzu with the flavor sealed in. Characterized by yuzu's refreshing fragrance and pleasant acidity, they are ideal as a topping for yokan and fresh confections. Their spring-like yellow adds brightness to Peach Festival wagashi.
Persimmon jam (refrigerated) comes in a 9kg spec and is a jam made by simmering fully ripened persimmons. Characterized by persimmon's distinctive sweetness and mellow flavor, mixing it into an adds a unique taste. Honey-pickled cherries can also be used as an accent in wagashi, with their vivid red adding a festive touch.
Bring Spring Fragrance with Processed Plum Products
Simmered plums (ume kanroni) come in a 9kg spec and are a sweet simmered preparation of carefully cooked ripe plums. The balance of the plum's inherent sourness and sweetness is exquisite, and it is used as an accent in wagashi. Kishu neri-ume (red) triangle pouch comes in a 500g spec, and its vivid red adds spring-like color to Peach Festival wagashi.
Starches for Translucent Chilled Confections
Cool chilled confections are also popular among spring wagashi.
Genuine warabi starchcomes in a 10kg spec and is the finest 100% genuine warabi starch. Characterized by its distinctive translucency and elastic texture, it is essential for making authentic warabi mochi. It is highly rare and is used by high-end wagashi shops. Hon-kuzu (kudzu starch) comes in a 5kg×4 spec; as hon-kuzu such as Yoshino kuzu, it is characterized by a beautiful translucent finish and a smooth, refined texture.
Wheat starch (ukiko) orpotato starch(katakuriko) is offered in a 25kg spec and can be used widely for making translucent wagashi. Cornstarch also comes in a 25kg spec and is valued as a starch that easily produces translucency. By using these starches appropriately, you can make chilled confections with a variety of textures and degrees of translucency.
Simplify with the Original "Tomo" Series
As original products that simplify wagashi production, the "Tomo" Series is available. Warabi-gashi no Tomo, Kuzu-gashi no Tomo, Mizu-manju no Tomo, and others come in 1kg or 10kg specs, balancing ease of use with quality. Using these makes it possible to efficiently produce wagashi of consistent quality.
Summary: To Succeed in Making Peach Festival Wagashi
Making Peach Festival wagashi begins with choosing the raw materials.
Sakura green leaves and salt-pickled cherry blossoms for sakura mochi, naturally derived colorants for hishimochi, and fine sarashi-an and joshin-ko for shirozake-flavored wagashi. By choosing the raw materials best suited to each type of wagashi, you can achieve traditional flavor and beautiful color. Combining seasonal fruits and translucent starches completes gorgeous, spring-like wagashi.
The quality of the raw materials determines how the wagashi turns out. The finest sarashi-an, domestic cherry leaves, and naturally derived colorants. By choosing these raw materials appropriately and handling them carefully, you can make wagashi worthy of the Peach Festival.
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