More sweets

Here are few photos of sweets made by students.  I am especially charmed by the little green frog.

From SweetPersimmon

Today's sweet

Yuki no ume

Photos from the sweets workshop

Kanten comes in many types, from powder, to threads, to dried blocks.  The trick is to get the ratio right.  We used a powder that I was not familiar with and the sweets turned out to be so hard they were like hockey pucks and had to be discarded.

Molding the koi for the most popular sweet was like sculpting with play-doh.  The fish are made with white an and then orange and yellow bits are added randomly for color.

Here they are in the kitchen.  Some fish are more lively than others.  Some look like they are playing dead.  But they all tasted good.

Final presentation on a glass tray.  Don't they look delicious and cool?  We also made mizu yokan and kudzu yaki. The thing about kanten is that the longer it sits, it seems to get more cloudy, so they have to be eaten fairly soon after making them.  Darn!

And for the inspiration of koi in the pond:

Summer sweets workshop

This Saturday, May 25th is the summer sweets workshop

It will take place at Issoan Tea School, 17761 NW Marylhurst Ct. Portland, OR 97229

From 1 -3 pm,  cost is $25. All recipes, ingredients and molds provided. Bring apron and container to take home your sweets.

We will be making mizu yokan, kudzu yaki and koi in a pond. 

Mizu yokan is a favorite summer time treat.  In Kyoto we would buy them chilled in these green bamboo tubes and they would poke a hole in the bottom so you suck them out and eat them.  You can also mold them in a pan and slice them into squares or if you have cooking cutters, cut them into shapes.

Kudzu yaki is made with kudzu starch and cooked until clear. The kudzu is poured into a mold and dusted with potato starch and grilled. 

Koi in a pond is an white bean paste koi sculpture in a round mold with kanten surrounding it.

Please mail me or call me if you would like to attend. 
Margie 503-645-7058
margie@issoantea.com
There will be a limit on the number of people to as many as I can fit in my kitchen.  (5-6 people).

Next year's Sakura mochi

The delicious sweet we have in April called Sakura mochi is composed of a bean paste and sweet sticky rice wrapped with a pickled cherry leaf.   We enjoy it while the Sakura cherry trees are blooming.  The interesting thing is that the Sakura blooms before there are leaves on the tree.  After the petals have all fallen, the leaves then come out.  So for next year's Sakura mochi, pick the leaves now and preserve them using this recipe:

How to pickle Sakura leaves:

Choose the double blossom cherry trees.  Make sure that they are not sprayed with chemicals.
Pick leaves in the Spring when tender but large enough to wrap sweets (about  4-6 inches long).  Most of the leaves come out after the blossoms have fallen. Don’t wait until they are too tough.

Wash leaves in cold water and remove stems.  Arrange in a single layer and steam for about a minute.  (it smells heavenly).  Rinse leaves in cold water to cool.  Put a layer of kosher salt in the bottom of container (plastic or ceramic). Do not use aluminum.  Over the salt put a layer of leaves, then salt, then leaves. End up with salt.  Pour hot water over the stack until leaves are submerges.  Put plastic wrap over and put a weight on top. 

Let pickle for 3-7 days.  Remove weight and layer leaves together in plastic wrap Do not wash.  Wrap and  put in freezer bag and freeze for next year.

Wagashi basics, shiro an

Shiro an is a basic ingredient for making wagashi, or Japanese tea sweets.  This white bean paste can be colored, hand formed, molded and manipulated and used in many. many different ways to make different kinds of wagashi.

When I was learning to make this, Minako sensei said to make a big batch, because it takes too much work to make just a little bit.  You can divide up the bean paste into smaller, usable batches and  freeze them in individual bags, then thaw just a smaller amount for what you need.  It took me all day to make this batch.

Good bean paste starts with good beans.  I use organic lima beans.  You can use any kind of white beans to start.  Sort and discard any broken, misshapen or discolored beans.  Put them in a large pot or bowl and cover with cold water and soak them overnight.

The next day, when the beans have softened, take the skins off.  I also remove the little nub or sprout because it makes for smoother bean paste.  You can certainly compost the bean skins, or put them in the blender and use them for filler for bread, meatloaf etc.

After you have removed all the skins, put them in a pot and cover with cold water and bring to a simmer over medium heat

As the beans come to a boil, skim off the foam that comes to the top.  When the water comes to a simmer (not full boil), change the water by dipping it out with a plastic container and replacing it with fresh cold water.  Do this 3-4 times or until the water is no longer discolored.  Bring to a simmer, dip out the hot water, replace with cold water.

Continue to simmer until the beans fall apart.  This may take longer than you think it will.

I then pour the bean slush into the blender and pulse it a couple of  times to make sure all the beans are broken up and smooth.  You can also use a food mill, sieve or food processor.

Pour the slush back into the pot or a large bowl and let the bean paste settle. 

You will see the two layers begin to separate after about 10 minutes. Pour off the top layer of discolored liquid, and refill the pot with fresh cold water.

Let the mixture settle and pour off the top layer.  Do this many times.  How many?  Until the top layer becomes clear.  Sometimes I have done it as many as 10 times.  The paste settles faster as the toip layer is poured off with lighter material.  When the top layer is clear, put a muslin jelly bag over a strainer in the sink, (or I just use a clean flour sack towel).  Pour the bean mixture into the bag, drain and then squeeze out or wring as much water as you can.  The more water you can squeeze out, the less time the next step will take. The pste should be dry. Good, now you have unsweetened bean paste called nama an and we are half-way done.

Weigh out the bean paste and return to the pot (without the jelly bag or flour sack towel).

I don't like my sweets too sweet, so I use one third of the weight of the bean paste and measure that amount of sugar.  Put all of the sugar and half of the bean paste in the pot and heat over medium-low  heat stirring constantly.  As the sugar melts, the mixture will get very thin.

When the mixture begins to boil, add the rest of the bean paste.  Keep cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent sticking and burning.  It will begin to thicken

Cook over medium heat until the mixture mounds nicely and is not sticky to the touch.  It looks like mashed potatoes. 

The moisture content will var accoring to the ultimate use.  Dryer for molding, stickier for kinton.

Remove from the heat and distribute in small mounds to a well-wrung, damp, lint-free dish towel and cover to cool.

This white bean paste can be frozen for up to 3 months if double wrapped and sealed tightly.

When I thaw the bean paste, I put it in the microwave to thaw and warm it.  To make it pliable and easier to work with, knead in a damp dish towel.  You can then color it, form it, add other ingredients and use with other ingredients to make you favorite wagashi.

Yukima no kusa

 
I have had a few requests to see what the sweets were like for Hatsugama.  I neglected to take photos of the sweets last week, but this week I re-created them for the introduction class that started today. 

Yukima no kusa is the poetic name, it means the sprouts under the snow.

Wagashi in Portland

Hanabira mochi sweets for New Year

I know for many of you sweets are one of the reasons that you come to class to drink tea.   I hope you have all appreciated my poor attempts at home made wagashi. This sweet is called hanabira mochi.  It is the traditional New years' sweet of Urasenke.  I love the taste of this sweet for it mix of sweet and salty flavors.

For those of you in Seattle, there is now a professional tea sweet maker called Tokara.

Tokara is a Seattle-based confectionery that prepares only freshly made Japanese sweets known as wagashi. These traditional Kyoto-style confections are crafted to reflect the seasonal changes and the beauty of nature in color, shape, and taste. Handmade by Chef Tokara, a selection of wagashi echoing the current season of the year – be it spring, summer, fall, or winter – are offered monthly.

Chef Tokara prepares wagashi using the centuries-old Kyoto method and carefully selects only the best and freshest ingredients to ensure her confections are of the highest quality. Her dedication and meticulous attention to craft and technique produces sweets that are visually stunning and exquisitely flavorful. And for Chef Tokara, taste is most important. “It must be delicious!”

Order your sweets from  Tokara Japanese Confectionary

You can also have a bowl of sweets at the Seattle Urasenke Branch.  Contact them to schedule a visit.

You can also sample Chef Tokara's creations at
Panama Hotel Tea and Coffee
605 S. Main St., Seattle, WA 98104
              206-223-9242     

FUJI BAKERY, Inc. (Friday and Saturday only)
1502 145th PL. SE, Bellevue, WA 98007
(425) 641-3889

Fresh Flours
6015 Phinney Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98103
206-297-3300

CafeWeekend
851 Hiawatha Pl. S. Seattle, WA 98144

Tougo Coffee
1410 18th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122

Wagashi For Foodies

As part of my tea study, we delve into the realm of Japanese sweets making, or learning how to make wagashi. As a self-defined foodie, I am fascinated with wagashi. The taste, appearance, subtle flavor and poetic name all combine to provide the taster with a unique and truly one-of-a-kind experience. One of the most enchanting ways to enjoy wagashi is with a bowl of tea. The sweet, eaten before your tea, cleanses your pallet and then brings out the flavor of the tea. No need to add sugar to your tea now!

Making your own wagashi is a challenge if you are currently not studying with a teacher. A teacher shows you the correct method you will need to make authentic Japanese sweets – it's not something you can learn from a book. I have made only a handful of wagashi: steamed & bean-filled sweets, sesame flat cookies and lima bean wet sweets. When making your own, it’s important to weigh everything out in grams –There is no such thing as “eye-balling it” when creating wagashi. By taking the time to weigh each ingredient, you are ensuring consistency between each sweet. Since the main ingredients are very static with a recipe, what vary are the appearance, texture and flavor. Every sweet is hand-formed and therefore each sweet is unique. A true artisan will take the same 5 – 10 ingredients and create something that is a mini, delicious work of art. Part of what is so lovely about creating your own wagashi is deciding what they should look like. Use food coloring, sweets molds, spices, sake, fruit and (most importantly) seasonal inspirations to make phenomenal wagashi.

It seems that anyone who is interested in wagashi has a difficult time finding new sweets recipes available in English. Even if you find a recipe, you may not be able to make it since many of the ingredients and materials are difficult to find outside of Japan. It doesn’t seem like there are any sweets recipe specialty books available in English. (Please, prove me wrong!) One thing you can do is eat many sweets and take note of what is being created in Japan. Ask questions about the sweets. Save your favorite images in a recipe book so when you do have that one coveted recipe (hey, there are a few available on this blog) you can make dozens of unique tasting and beautifully-shaped sweets. Bon Appétit!

Recipe Resources
Midorikai Sweets Recipes – This website is staffed and funded by Midorikai Alumni volunteers, so please consider a donation of any amount for its continuance and development if you decide to use this resource.
About.com – I haven’t tested any of these recipes, but feel free to browse. There might be a jem here. Word of the wise: Don’t experiment with a recipe the day you plan to serve it to guests.
Flickr – If you immediately want to start looking at images of wagashi, check out the great albums available for free on Flickr. Search for the keyword “wagashi” to get started.

April Fool's for Tea

I have a tea friend in Seattle who has been collecting whimsical things to use for an April Fool's Day chakai.  I love his sense of humor and creativity in putting together found objects for the utensils for this chakai.

Take a look at some of these:

 Sorry for the cut off image, but if you look closely at this scroll, it is mounted and hanging sideways.

 Dandelions in a pickle jar with a chicken clock for an incense container

Here is a rather formal nagaita (long board) set up with the whimsical utensils. An onion tureen for mizusashi, large cup for kensui, mixer for a whisk, medicine bottle for tea caddy, steel ladle for hishaku and teaspoon for a chashaku.

Peeps for okashi!

 I wonder if it was just as shocking or whimsical in the late 1500s when Rikyu put his flowers in a bamboo vase, and used a teabowl made by a roof tile maker?

Higashi, dry sweets for usucha

Originally the term kashi meant fruits, berries or nuts. Literally, higashi means dry sweets. These are sweets for usucha or thin tea as opposed to namagashi or wet sweets for koicha, thick tea. In Japan, higashi include the ubiquitous pressed sugar sweets, pulled sugar candy aruheito, gumdrop-like jellies rolled in sugar and senbei crackers.

Outside of Japan it may be difficult to get these Japanese sweets or even make them yourself.  As alternatives, you can use dried fruit or berries, dates, or combinations with nuts.   Also Aplets and Cotlets, a jelly and nut confection seems to go well with matcha.  In a pinch I have used vanilla wafers.  Some people like those Milano cookies with the chocolate filling.  I don't really like to use chocolate with matcha.  Something about the coating of the chocolate in the mouth afterwards (or maybe it's that I am one of the few people who don't like the taste of chocolate). 

I have tried to make the pressed sugar sweets (called uchimono) with powdered sugar, but they tasted too sweet and chalky. I think it is because powdered sugar also has cornstarch in it so it won't clump up. I have since learned that the Japanese sugar that they call wasanbon is used to make the pressed sugar sweets. Wasanbon is hard to get, even in Japan.

I tried to make my own wasanbon using turbinado or raw crystallized sugar by putting it in a blender to make it powdered. This turned out okay except I had to put it through a fine sieve because not all of the crystals were powdered. The other challenge with making pressed sweets is having the right sized mold. You can buy kashigata (sweet molds) on the internet, but most of them are too big for higashi (another post we can talk about using the larger molds). If you do not have a kashigata, you can look for plastic candy molds at craft stores that are nearer the right size. I have also used a melon baller or rounded teaspoon measure to make domed pressed sweets. It is a simple shape, but they work well. Finally, you can make pressed sweets in a square or bar shaped mold and then cut the higashi into blocks.

The following is a recipe for rakugan from Kimika Soko Takechi and Larry Sokyo Tiscornia at teatimes@chanoyu.com.

Ingredients:
kanbaiko (cooked mochi rice flour) 33gm (1.2oz)
granulated sugar 66gm (2.3oz) (or super fine Bakers Sugar if available)
shitorimitsu (sugar water) approx. 2tsp
color (optional)
flavoring (optional)

FOR SHITORIMITSU:
(mizuame [syrup] or Karo light corn syrup) 1 part
(water) 2 parts

Note-Kanbaiko from Japan is usually not available in the US. Some large Vietnamese or Chinese markets may carry cooked glutinous rice flour which is similar to kanbaiko. It is usually from Hong Kong and the package may say "fried" rice flour on it which refers to it being cooked. (Note from Margie: Look for the package with a rooster on it.)

Preparation:
Make the shitorimitsu by bringing the mizuame, or light corn syrup, and water to the boil so that all of the liquids blend together. Let cool.

Mix the sugar and shitorimitsu in a bowl until it is blended well (use your hands for best results). If using color, it can be added to the shitorimitsu before mixing with the sugar. Gradually mix in the kanbaiko until everything is well blended. Sift into a larger bowl. A Japanese dry sweet mold can be lightly dusted with katakuriko (potato starch) or corn starch. Press the mixture into the mold until the openings are full. Use your thumb to put maximum pressure on each design. Place a piece of waxed paper over the top of the mold and using a flat object press the remaining dry mixture into the mold. Remove the sweets from the mold and let dry a couple of hours before placing in an airtight container. This recipe make approximately 25 sweets.

If you do not have a sweet mold you can proceed with the preparation of the uchimono mixture and can place a layer in a plastic lined mold. Press the mixture into the mold using a flat wooden board. Japanese yokan, sweet bean jelly, can be sliced and placed on top of the pressed mixture. More mixture can be placed on top of the yokan and pressed again. Let sit a couple of hours before cutting.

Sweet Zenzai

The sweet we had at Robiraki was a sweet bean soup, called zenzai. It is especially welcome at Robiraki when the weather has turned cold and rainy and the guests leave the tea room for a short break outside. I have a request for the recipe as follows:

Ingredients:

1 lb adzuki red beans (454 grams)
10.5 oz. white granulated sugar (300 grams)
10.5 oz dard brown sugar (300 grams)
1 Tbls. usukuchi (thin) soy sauce
mochi (sweet rice cakes) or boiled dango
roasted chestnuts (optional)

Check the beans carefully and discard any broken or off color or misshapen beans. Rinse the beans in cold water several times then soak overnight in plenty of cold water to soften. Drain and discard soaking water. Rinse beans and cover with fresh cold water. Gently bring beans to the boil and skim off the foam that comes to the top of the pot. Boil gently until the beans are soft and cooked through. (about an hour).

When beans are done, pour off the water until the beans are just barely covered. Add both the sugars and soy sauce. Bring back to boil, stirring in the sugar. Turn down the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes. Taste for sweetness. You can add sugar if not enough. Simmer until all sugar is completely dissolved. The zenzai can be served now, but tastes much better if it is allowed to cool and sit overnight in the refrigerator.

When ready to serve, cut round or square mochi pieces and lightly grill until golden brown under the broiler. (Or from round balls of dango and boil until it floats). Heat the zenzai until very hot.
Place a few pieces of grilled mochi or dango in serving bowls and ladle the hot zenzai on top.

Optional you can roast and peel chestnuts and cut in half and put in the bowl with mochi and put hot zenzai on top.

This recipe makes about 20 small servings. I cut this recipe in half and reduced some of the sugar (for my taste) and had enough for 7 people for Robiraki. (5 guests, two mizuya helpers).

This also can be served over ice cream for a tasty dessert.

Go ahead make some zenzai this fall.

Japanese tea sweets

One thing I love about Japanese tea, they always serve wagashi (general name for sweets). It is practically impossible to count how many different types of wagashi exist when you take into account the numerous recipes and ingredients. The main ingredients for wagashi are beans (Azuki beans, kidney beans, soy beans), grains (mochi-rice, rice flour, wheat), potatoes, sesame seeds, Kanten (a natural hardener) and sugar. No fat or oil is used to make wagashi. These confections run the gamut from frothy abstract shapes to exquisite works of art made to look like flowers, animals or seasonal shapes such as autumn maple leaves.

In Chanoyu, there are two kinds – well there are many different kinds. but two main categories of sweets, higashi or dry sweets, and omogashi the larger wet sweets. Generally speaking, higashi are for usucha or thin tea, and omogashi for koicha or thick tea. Omogashi usually have a poetic name, too – like hakubai (white plum blossoms) or Yamazato (mountain village).

In Japan, it is pretty easy to get sweets. There are shops that specialize in certain types of sweets, some are very famous. Sweets are made fresh daily at shops and we used to go just before closing to get the marked down leftovers.When I lived in Kyoto, one of my sempai and I would go around to the different sweet shops to sample the sweets. We made a map of the best shops in the city with notes on their particular specialty and which ones we liked the best. There is one that has a wagashi bar. It is like a sushi bar. The chef behind the bar will have a selection of seasonal sweets. When you choose one, he will make there in front of you and they will serve you a bowl of matcha. Heaven.

In America, it is more difficult to get sweets, though sometimes you can get them at Asian grocery stores and they tend not to be very fresh. I learned an easy to remember recipe for mochi and red bean paste sweets from my sensei that can be made with easily obtained ingredients.

Easy Daifukumochi tea sweets
Make a bean paste of red azuki beans, (kidney beans if not available). You can also buy sweet bean paste powder or red bean paste in a plastic bag if you can find it.

Soak beans overnight, and cook until very soft. Strain cooking water and beans through a mesh strainer into another bowl to eliminate bean skins. Throw skins away (or compost). Then strain the beans mush and water through a muslin cloth. Squeeze as much water out of the cloth as you can. Put the bean paste in a pan on the stove and add one third (in weight) sugar and cook over medium heat stirring it until the paste thickens. It will tend to get very thin and watery as the sugar melts, but then it will thicken up. When it is thick enough, the bean paste will stand and mound nicely and is not too sticky. Remove from heat and distribute in small mounds on a well wrung, lint-free towel to cool. Cover with towel so it will not dry out. This can also be double wrapped in plastic wrap and put in a zip lock and stored in the freezer up to 3 months. When cooled, form into 1 inch balls.

To make mochi covering, take one cup of mochiko flour (can be found in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets), one cup of sugar and one cup of water and mix together. (The proportion is important 1-1-1. You can make half a recipe, too). Put through a sieve to eliminate lumps. At this point you can add food coloring to suggest seasonal references (such as purble for iris). The secret to keeping the mochi soft is to add a tablespoon of karo light corn syrup. Mix well and microwave for 1 minute, take out and mix well. Microwave for 2 minutes, take out and stir to mix well. Microwave 2 more minutes and stir again. By now it should be getting clear and elastic. Make sure it is completely translucent by microwaving in 30 second increments. Turn out glob of mochi from the bowl onto a cookie sheet or pan sprinkled liberally with corn starch. Sprinkle corn starch on top to prevent sticking. Wait until cool enough to handle. Pinch off about a one inch ball of the mochi and flatten it in your hands. Be careful it will be hot. Put bean paste ball in center and pinch closed. Turn over and bush off excess cornstarch with soft brush. I put them into a paper muffin cup to keep them separate until I am ready to serve.