Hanabiramochi (葩餅) is a Japanese sweet (wagashi), usually eaten at the beginning of the year.[1] Hanabiramochi are also served at the first tea ceremony of the new year.[2][3][4]
 | |
| Type | Wagashi |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Japan |
| Main ingredients | Mochi, miso, Gyūhi, burdock |
Origin
editThe name "hanabiramochi" literally means "flower petal mochi". The original form of Hanabiramochi is Hishihanabira, a dessert that was eaten by the Imperial family at special events coinciding with the beginning of the year.
Hanabiramochi was first made in the Meiji Era, and is now a familiar New Year wagashi.[3]
Form
editThe exact shape of hanabiramochi is strictly defined by tradition. The white mochi covering is flat and round, folded over to form a semicircular shape, and must have a pink color showing through in the center of the confection, fading to a white at the edge. Unlike a daifuku, the mochi must not completely seal the insides.
In the center of a hanabiramochi is a layer of anko, a sweet bean paste, commonly the white kind made from sweetened mung beans. In the very center is a thin strip of sweetly flavoured gobo (burdock), which protrudes from the mochi on both sides.
Significance and symbolism
editEach element of the hanabiramochi is significant:
The red colour showing through the white mochi is not only appropriate to the celebration of the new year, but also evokes the Japanese apricot/plum (ume) blossom, which in turn represents the purity, perseverance, and renewal associated with the New Year.
The gobo represents pressed ayu, a fish exclusive to East Asia, and a prayer for a long life.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ He, Yiting (2018). "Culinary Integration and Sweet Imagination: The Case of Japanese Confectionery under Globalisation".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Helstosky, Carol, ed. (2014). The Routledge History of Food. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315753454. ISBN 978-1-317-62113-3.
- ^ a b "Hanabiramochi | Traditional Dessert From Japan | TasteAtlas". www.tasteatlas.com. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Goldstein, Darra; Mintz, Sidney (2015). The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets (Reprint ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199313624.