Japanese Sweets Classification

The classification of Japanese sweets according to moisture content is generally used.
If the moisture content of them is less than 20%, it is called higashi (dried or desiccated sweets) and, ones above 40% (yokan, adzuki-bean jelly, is over 30%) is nama-gashi (fresh and moist sweets), ones from 20% to 40% is han'nama-gashi (soft, semi-baked sweets).
Normally, higashi is eaten when partaking of light green tea whereas, namagashi is provided with the fuller-bodied green tea.


*Nama-gashi (fresh and moist sweets)*

<rice-cake sweets>
They are made from mainly glutinous rice, non-glutinous rice or their processed food. For
example, ohagi (a rice ball coated with sweetened red beans, soybean flour or sesame and salt), sekihan (rice boiled with beans), daihukumochi (a rice cake stuffed with sweet bean jam), domyoji (a rice cake with bean paste wrapped in a preserved cherry leaf), kashiwamochi (a rice cake wrapped in an oak leaf), suama (plain sweet rice cake).

sakuramochi

<steamed cake>
For example, yubeshi (sweet yuzu-flavoured dumpling).

 yubeshi

<baked sweets>
For example, dorayaki (a bean-jam pancake), geppei (mooncake), kasutera (sponge cake).

dorayaki

<kneaded sweets>
For example, nerikiri (a cake made of white bean jam which is artistically colored or shaped), gyuhi (a kind of rice cake made from glutinous rice or glutinous rice flour) and so on.

 nerikiri

*Han'nama-gashi (soft, sami-baked sweets)*

<bean-jam sweets>
For example, ishigoromo (water cake).

<flowing sweets>
For example, yokan.

yokan

<sugared sweets>
It is important that full flavor of their ingredients is brought out.
For example, amanatto (sugared red beans).


*Higashi (dried or desiccated sweets)*

<fried sweets>
They are made by deep-fat frying. For example, karinto (dried-dough stick-shaped cookies), deep-fried beans and so on.

<candy>
For example, konpeito (small colored sugar candy covered in bulges), rakugan (hard candy), toffee and so on.

 konpeito

<rice confectionery>
For example, rice crackers and so on.

rice crackers

And the classification according to whether they keep for a long time is used too. This classify them as "asanama-gashi" or "jonama-gashi".

"Asanama" means the sweets made since morning to sell on the same day. Such sweets don't keep for a long time, so you should eat them on the same day when you buy them. Starchy sweets like rice cakes become hard in about 2 days. Their prices are lower and they are often eat at home. For example, rice-cake sweets, dumplings and so on. Most of seasonal sweets are contained in them.

In contrast, "jonama" means the sweets of good quality. Jonamagashi is called "jogashi" in Kansai region, and "kyogashi" in Kyoto. Exerting one's originality and ingenuity, jogashi chefs make them so the prices of jonamagashi are more expensive. Most of them keep for a long time, so they are 3 days old, they are still delicious. For example, nerikiri, sweet bean jelly, sweet buns,Turkish delight and so on.