#wagashi

🌕🐇BEFORE THE SWALLOWS LEAVE🌾🌰 In the traditional calendar September 2nd–7th is known as 'kokumono sunawachi minoru' (禾乃登 'rice ripens'). This bountiful season is marked by a rich variety of sweets inspired by sunsets, the arrival of harvest time, and the '7 Flowers of Autumn'. #wagashi #和菓子 #Japan

To combat the sweltering summer afternoon, how about a refreshing snack from Kameyama Yoshinaga (亀屋良長) that looks like a miniature kakigōri (かき氷)🍧 The sweet's name, 'nōryō' (納涼), loosely translates as 'finding a cool breeze to escape the heat'😎 #亀屋良長 #wagashi

The sweet is finished off with a squeeze of sharp lemon syrup...🍋💦✨😲😊 #Japan #Kyoto #KameyaYoshinaga #亀屋良長 #wagashi #japanesesweets

Seiyō-san's (青洋) latest creation is a beautiful, water lily-inspired sweet called 'sōryō' (爽涼), which simply means 'refreshing cool'. The slightly watercolour quality of the sweet brings to mind Claude Monet's (1840–1926) 'Water Lilies'. #wagashi #和菓子

Kinton (金団) are small balls of sweet bean paste covered in a colourful, shredded type of dough (commonly made from a type of potato). Nowadays they have an almost fuzzy appearance. This is how Itotatsu-san makes the 'sei-no-hana' (聖の花)... #wagashi #和菓子 #Kyoto #京都

🍉WATERMELON DAY🥤 Kameya Yoshinaga's (亀屋良長) adorable 'hito-suzumi' (ひと涼み 'cooling off') are the perfect treat for July 27th's 'Suika-no-hi' (スイカの日)!🥳🍉🙌 #wagashi #和菓子 #suikanohi #スイカの日 #watermelonday #Japan #Kyoto #京都

🙏😋GOBBLING GOOD HEALTH✨💪 Queueing in 35 degree heat for over three hours for a sweet that is available only once a year...🌞⏱️🥹 July 16th was 'gyōja mochi' day (行者餅)🙌 The sweet is sold exclusively by Kashiwaya Mitsusada (柏屋光貞) in Gion. #Kyoto #wagashi #祇園祭 #京都

Gyōja mochi (行者餅) is a thin pancake wrapped around gyūhi (求肥 - a thin type of mochi) and a paste of white miso seasoned with sanshō (山椒 - Japanese pepper). The pepper gives the otherwise sweet confection a nice spicy (and fruity) punch😯 #wagashi #和菓子 #行者餅 #柏屋光貞

Morning delivery of Oimatsu's (老松) 'hoshi-ai' (星合い 'the meeting of stars')✨ For a short time, in the week leading up to Tanabata, we serve these sweets at our Garden Teahouse. #wagashi #和菓子 #Oimatsu #老松 #星合い

A constellation in the palm of your hands for Tanabata (七夕)🎋✨ Kameya Yoshinaga's (亀屋良長) beautiful 'ginga' (銀河 'galaxy')🙌💫🥰 🧵🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛❤️🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐄 #和菓子 #Kyoto #京都 #七夕 #Tanabata #wagashi #Japan #星祭

🍉🥒FRUIT AND VEG🍒🍑 There is something quite adorable about traditional sweets that mimic (or incorporate) seasonal fruit and vegetables. For a few short weeks in May each year Toraya (とらや) produce a plump little sweet called 'nasubi-mochi' (なすび餅 'eggplant mochi')🍆 #Kyoto #wagashi

Inside the cheerful little eggplant is white bean paste mixed with black sesame seeds, mimicking the flesh of the fruit😋 #なすび餅 #eggplant #Toraya #とらや #Kyoto #京都 #wagashi #和菓子 #Japan

Open for a surprise...🍒👀✨ Senbon Tamajuken's (千本玉壽軒) peach-coloured 'sakuranbo' (さくらんぼ 'cherries')🙌 #Kyoto #京都 #wagashi #和菓子 #SenbonTamajuken #千本玉壽軒 #Japan

These little turnip beauties are from Kameya Shigehisa (亀屋重久) and Kagizen (鍵善良房). #wagashi #和菓子 #京野菜 #Kyoyasai

The weather is warm and the baby ume are plumping up nicely...so thoughts naturally turn to refreshing 'ao-ume' (青梅 'unripe plums')🙌 Kameya Yoshinaga's (亀屋良長) vibrant 🍑-like version contain a delicious ume jelly within. #和菓子 #Kyoto #京都 #青梅 #wagashi #ume #plum

For those who can't wait for the fruit to mature, juicy looking 'aoume' (青梅) offer a nice, sweet alternative. Shioyoshiken's (塩芳軒) annual offering... #wagashi #和菓子 #Kyoto #京都 #青梅 #ume #plum

Oimatsu's 'ao-ume' (青梅), a sweet we often serve to guests this month🙌 Ume fruit picked on June 16th is known as 'kashō-no-ume' (嘉祥の梅). There is a superstition that if you dry out the plums and eat them then you will escape misfortune and other disasters✨ #嘉祥の梅 #梅 #ume #Kyoto #京都 #wagashi #和菓子 #老松

😋SWEETS🍡 From mid-April 'tsutsuji kinton' (つつじきんとん) are served in the tearoom. These sweets either mimic small round azalea bushes, or flowers growing out of rock crevices ('iwane-tsutsuji' 岩根つつじ 'azalea rooted amongst rocks'). #Kyoto #京都 #azalea #躑躅 #和菓子 #wagashi