Irises have a special meaning at this time of year, and in the teahouse we serve 'ayame-mochi' (あやめ餅).

It was believed the plants could ward away evil and cleanse impurities, and so it was common to see them hung from the eaves of houses.

It's often difficult to gauge when to start celebrating the various blossoms...but this isn't a problem inside the teahouse

a bevy of teahouses
suddenly!
cherry blossoms
茶屋村の出現したるさくらかな
-Kobayashi Issa (小林一茶), 1819.

Less well known are the summer and winter versions of ohagi, available around the solstices.

Seasonal names for ohagi:
spring = botamochi (牡丹餅 'peony')
summer = yofune (夜舟 'night boat')
autumn = ohagi (御萩 'bush clover')
winter = kita-mado (北窓 'northern window')

Botamochi (牡丹餅) and ohagi (おはぎ) are nowadays very similar sweets, but were previously distinguished by their shape and the texture of the azuki paste used.

Botamochi are named after peonies (spring) and ohagi after bush clovers (autumn), denoting when they were eaten.
#京都 #Kyoto #和菓子 #wagashi

Camellia flowers inspire a mind-boggling number of traditional sweets.

The most famous, and one of the oldest (an early version featuring in 'The Tale of Genji'), is 'tsubaki-mochi' (椿餅). Camellia leaves adorn a sticky rice cake, but unlike sakura-mochi the leaves act as decoration only.

There are 2 main types of sakuramochi: Kansai-style and Kantō-style:

Kansai sakuramochi, known also as 'Dōmyōji-mochi' (道明寺餅), is made with dōmyōji-ko rice flour (道明寺粉).

Kantō sakuramochi uses shiratama-ko flour (白玉粉) and is also known as 'Chōmeiji-mochi' (長命寺餅).

Earlier in the year, to coincide with a period in the traditional calendar known as 'fuki-no-hana saku' (款冬華 'butterburs bud' - January 20-24th), Nona (のな) created a special sweet called 'fuki-no-hana' (ふきの花). It mimicked the head of a butterbur flower.

Shōfu-dō's (松甫堂) 'tsubaki-mochi' (椿餅) is sold exclusively on the approach to Jōnan-gu during plum blossom season. The sweet's slight octagonal shape was inspired by the shrine's famous amulet (protecting against unlucky directions).

#Kyoto #城南宮 #Jonangu #京都 #camellia #Japan #wagashi #和菓子

'Kokubaimochi' (黒梅餅 'black plum mochi'), sold for a short time by Oimatsu (老松) at Baika-sai (梅花祭), are named after a rare species of plum found at Kitano Tenman-gū.

Uguisu-mochi (うぐいす餅) is made by wrapping 'gyūhi' (求肥), a dough of kneaded rice flour and sugar, around bean paste.
The sweet was originally finished with a dusting of tea powder, but nowadays a green soy bean powder is used (or mugwort is added to the gyūhi).

Emperor Jimmu ascended the throne on New Year's Day (the first day of the first month) in the traditional lunar calendar.

There is no historical evidence that Jimmu existed, but the date is significant as New Year is an auspicious time for change and fresh undertakings.

Today's afternoon tea has a decidedly Welsh feel to it (naturally making me yearn for Welsh Cakes and Bara Brith).

Kameya Shigehisa's (亀屋重久) 'suisen' (水仙 'daffodil') would make a perfect St David's Day (聖デイヴィッドの日 - March 1st) accompaniment.

Sweets to start the New Year...prayers for longevity, prosperity, good fortune, and one to celebrate the year of the snake!

A Heian period record explains that a feast of 'hard foods' such as deer and boar meat, sweet fish, radish and gourds were placed on top of round rice cakes adorned with 'hishimochi' (菱餅).

Hishamochi is a diamond-shaped mochi sweet of 3 layers, typically red/pink, white and green.

Tooth-hardening...an important way to start the year

Hanabiramochi (葩餅), one of the first sweets to be consumed in the New Year, evolved from the Hagatame-gishiki (歯固め儀式) 'Tooth Hardening Ceremony' held at the palace.

It was a prayer for good health and long life.

In Japan snowmen are known as 'yuki daruma' (ゆきだるま), named after the round little dolls (modeled on Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk who transmitted Zen to China).

A warming tea break with Kameya Shigehisa's (亀屋重久) charming 'yuki-asobi' (雪あそび 'playing in the snow')

Nona's (のな) snow inspired sweets: milk, tea and caramelized apple flavoured 'hatsu-yuki' (初雪 'first snow'), tea and buttered pear 'kogome-yuki' (粉米雪 'crushed snow').