Kyoto is home to a wide variety of delicious foods, but among the most famous is "kyogashi," a Kyoto-style confectionery established in Kyoto in modern times.
Kyo-gashi is a popular way to "see and enjoy" or "eat and enjoy" sweets, which are tasted with green tea while appreciating the seasons. But what is kyo-gashi in the first place, and what is its history?
Therefore, we would like to introduce in detail the characteristics, history, and design of Kyo-gashi.
Table of Contents
■What are Kyoto's Kyoto sweets?
■History of Kyogashi! Roots in Fruits?
■What kind of seasonal and eventful Kyoto sweets are available?
■ Summary
■What are Kyoto's Kyoto sweets?
What exactly is "kyogashi," Kyoto's confectionery?
Kyo-gashi are Kyoto-style confections created in Kyoto in modern times, and are Japanese confections made in Kyoto by artisans trained in Kyoto.
Kyogashi is called "Kamigashi" in Kyoto.
This is a confectionery presented to the court and noble families.
Japanese confectionery
Japanese confectionery
and so on, to distinguish them from sweets eaten by the common people.
And because of its association with the tea ceremony, it began to develop as a seasonal confectionery with a focus on color and shape.
Kyoto sweets were only available to the upper class, but after the importation of sugar increased in the Meiji period (1868-1912), even the townspeople began to eat them.
In order to meet the various needs, a number of casually eaten confections such as rice cake confections as well as confections for wedding ceremonies and tea ceremonies became widespread.
The Kyoto people's sense of beauty was embodied in Kyoto sweets, and has remained as the spirit of thoughtfulness and hospitality to this day.
■History of Kyogashi! Roots in Fruits?
Japanese sweets were originally called "katsuko" and were made of nuts and fruits.
Later, influenced by Tang confections brought by Chinese envoys to China, Nanban confections introduced from Portugal by Christian missionaries in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), and Yokan and Manju (steamed buns) from the period of tea ceremony culture development, as well as the introduction of various ingredients and techniques in each period, it developed into Kyo-gashi.
Kyoto was also blessed with fresh groundwater, making it the perfect environment for confectionery production combined with quality raw materials.
Until the Genroku period of the Edo period (1688-1868), it was an article of clothing only for the upper classes, but during the Edo period, it became available to the general public as well, and the variety of sweets became more diverse.
With the influence of foreign cultures, kyōgashi has evolved into a beautiful and artistic form of confectionery that is eaten at different times of the year and on different occasions.
The present-day kyogashi has come a long way as something that delights the five senses through confectionery, including taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing.
■What kind of seasonal and eventful Kyoto sweets are available?
Kyo-gashi is famous around the world as an artistic food, but what about seasonal and eventful Kyo-gashi?
Day-of-the-Boar mochi (made with new grains)
In the month of the boar in the lunar calendar, at the first boar's hour, boar cakes in the shape of a boar's whelp are eaten.
Eating it helps ward off all illnesses and maintain longevity, and is also a prayer for the prosperity of one's offspring, in reference to the boar's many children.
○Kasho Confectionery
It was first established in 848 (Jouwa 15) when an epidemic broke out and Emperor Nimei changed the era name to Kasho, and on June 16, 16 kinds of sweets were placed before the gods to pray for protection against the plague.
Even today, it is believed that people pray for good fortune by eating seven kinds of sweets made by adding 1 and 6.
○Kashiwa Mochi
In Kyoto, a rice cake filled with white miso paste and other ingredients is wrapped in an oak leaf.
It is considered appropriate for Dragon Boat Festival, a time to pray for good fortune, because the figure of the wrapper resembles the figure of a clapping hand.
cunicorn face
These sweets are made to look like the mask of a white fox, and are sold on the first horse day of February in conjunction with the Hatsuuma Grand Festival.
rice cakes for offering to the gods
Originating from an offering to Mt. Enno Gyoja during a plague epidemic in Kyoto, it is still known today as a confectionary to pray for good health.
Gyuhi and sansho miso are wrapped in crepe-like dough, making this a one-of-a-kind confection.
○Sakura Mochi
A rice cake made from Domyoji flour or other ingredients, filled with sweet red bean paste, and sandwiched between salted cherry leaves.
Arashiyama, Kyoto is believed to be the location of the first store to make sakura mochi, a much-loved specialty of Arashiyama.
■ Summary
How was it?
In this issue, we have introduced the history and roots of Kyoto sweets.
Kyo-gashi can be enjoyed both by looking at and eating.
We hope you will try some of the seasonal sweets when you visit Kyoto.
We, Akanemaru, experienced making yatsuhashi, a typical Japanese confectionery in Kyoto! Check out Youtube to see how it went!
