The history of Wagashi can be broadly classified into four eras according to their development process.
The first is Japanese sweets from the Nara period to the Heian period, the second is the Wagashi from the Muromachi period to the Azuchi-Momoyama period, the third is the Wagashi from the Edo period, and the fourth is the Wagashi Wagashi the Meiji period to the Showa period.
The introduction and spread of tea greatly contributed to the development of sweets. Tea was introduced to Japan during the Nara period (around the time of Emperor Shomu, in 729) by an envoy to the Sui Dynasty. Dano began in 1191 (Kamakura period) when Eisai Shonin was able to bring back tea seedlings from the Song dynasty.
Let's take a look at the history of Wagashi in these four periods.
In the Muromachi period (1543), when a Portuguese ship drifted ashore on Tanegashima, guns and Christianity were introduced, along with sweets such as sponge cake, biscout (biscuits), boro, confeto, and alheito. Did. It later came to be called Karagashi.
Karakudamono seems to have been made from rice flour, wheat, soybeans, sesame, and sweeteners. Karakudamono was used as food for shrines and temples and did not penetrate in general, but the introduction of processed and cooked Ingredients was a breakthrough that determined the direction of confectionery in Japan after that. It was a typical event.
Tsubakimochi, the first Wagashi in Japan, was created based on this method of making togashi. It is said that this camellia rice cake is made by kneading sticky rice koji and sweet kudzu and hardening it, and sandwiching it between camellia leaves.