Wagashi: The art of traditional Japanese sweets at The Podium
MANILA, Philippines - In line with its annual Nihongo Fiesta celebrations, the Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) gave mallgoers a rare opportunity to get a taste of wagashi or traditional Japanese sweets in a lecture and demonstration held recently at The Podium.
The event featured three Japanese wagashi chefs, Keisuke Yoshihashi, Noriyuki Myojin, and Naoya Koizumi, who flew in from Japan to showcase their skills in creating these exquisite, wonderfully crafted sweets.
Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets that are served during sado or Japanese tea ceremonies. These are made from a variety of ingredients such as rice, sugar, azuki, and beans. While taste is usually the most important concept in food, the appeal of wagashi is its appearance because it is important that its flavor should not overpower the taste of the tea.
Keisuke Yoshihashi of Yoshihasi Kashijo talked about the rich background of the art of wagashi. He also showed the audience traditional tools made out of wooden materials (including chopsticks) to shape the beautiful sweets, strictly following step-by-step procedures with great attention to detail and cleanliness. Noriyuki Myojin explained that it is necessary for one to take a licensing examination in order to practice his craft; he uses specially made chef’s scissors to carefully and evenly form the flower’s petals. Naoya Koizumi is known for making dorayaki or Japanese red bean pancakes that the animated character Doraemon loves very much. The pancakes stand out more than the red bean filling itself due to its delicate sweetness.
The Center of Culinary Arts (CCA), the pioneer culinary school in the Philippines, which has a branch at The Podium, served as the venue for the preparation of the wagashi. The three chefs also conducted a wagashi workshop for CCA students the day before, and the CCA students in turn assisted the wagashi chefs during the preparations and during the handing out of 100 free samples to the audience.
