【Ultimate Wagashi】Which is the most delicious Wagashi (Traditional Sweets)!?We did a Wagashi Tasting of the Super-Value Assorted Pack with 8 Different Types!!

2023-03-14
boss/smile
Konnichiwa everyone! Today we are doing a tasting comparison! I had a small lunch, and I’m ready to go, it’s Boss from Japanese Snacks Republic!
saori/smile
Konnichiwa everyone!!!!!I had ramen and I’m full!!!!!It’s Saori from Japanese Snacks Republic!!!
boss/anger
Silly!!!We had promised that we are going to eat the popular assorted pack with 8 wagashi and do a tasting to see which one is the most delicious!!!

【Ultimate Wagashi】Which is the most delicious Wagashi (Traditional Sweets)!?
We did a Wagashi Tasting of the Super-Value Assorted Pack with 8 Different Types!!

saori/closeeye
Well hold on a second. I stuffed myself with ramen and I’m super happy but I still have some space! Besides, the assorted wagashi pack has a lot of one-bite sizes, so I can do the tasting no problem!

Up for comparison today is this!!
Very popular at Japanese Snacks Republic too, an assorted pack with 8 types of wagashi!

https://japanese-snacks-republic.com/product/product_page_1497.html?ref=blog
boss
I guess that’s true. The wagashi pack that we are comparing today is a really popular item at Japanese Snacks Republic. It’s filled with THE items that represent Japanese traditional one-bite sized sweets!! It should be enjoyable to eat as a dessert snack too!
saori/question
8 different variety is pretty a lot! What kinds are inside?
boss/smile
Like these! There’s quite a lot of unique looking wagashi! Let’s go right ahead and try it!!

●栗しぐれ/Kurishigure (‘chestnut’ bun)

  • A gentle sweetness with no heaviness makes this a unique delicious classic wagashi!
  • Though “kuri” (chestnut) is part of the name, the inside is filled with syrup and white bean paste. The texture is delicate, not too firm nor sticky. Its mild texture is unique and distinctive!
  • The sweetness isn’t sickening, so best as the first or the last wagashi!

●栗小饅頭/Kuri komanju (“chestnut” mini pastry)

  • Looks like an éclair, but inside has very standard sweet red beans!
  • Among all the wagashi in this assorted set, this one has a very standard balance, and it lets you enjoy the classic Japanese wagashi taste and texture!
  • The skin’s fluffiness remains softly in the mouth, so you can enjoy the aftertaste quite a bit too!

●いちごゼリー/Strawberry Jelly

  • A fruit jelly that gives off an extraordinary color among the assorted wagashi set!
  • This wagashi is nicknamed “amber jelly.” They add sugar and syrup to agar jelly, dissolve by boiling, harden, then dry it to create this jelly-formed sugar snack! Contrary to the bright appearance, its sweetness is quite classy!
  • Neither a candy nor a gummy, it’s hard but also soft. A snack with a fun sensation when biting into it!
  • Because it has a different type of sweetness than the other wagashi, it’s a good one to eat when you want to reset the tastebuds!

●こしあん最中/Koshian Monaka

  • A super classic wagashi for you to enjoy the “this is monaka!” flavor and texture!
  • Monaka is a type of wagashi where a thin wafer made from mochi sandwiches sweet bean paste. Its biggest appeal is enjoying its crispy texture and the delightful sweet-bean sweetness!
  • Among all the ones in this assorted pack, this wagashi has the most unique texture, and it’s one-bite size is also just right!This feeling where the monaka skin stays inside of the mouth makes you say “wow~ I’m eating a monaka~!”

●塩もなか/hio (salt) monaka

  • Unlike the previous monaka, this wagashi has salt added to the red bean paste inside!
  • Even though it looks and the inside is almost the same, you will be reminded that saltiness goes well with red bean too! You might think it’s an odd combination, but the salt mixed into the bean paste is seriously good!
  • Because the stuffing is differently flavored than the sweet red bean paste common in this assorted pack, it’s perfect to eat when you want to reset the mouth palette with a salty flavor!

●桃山/Momoyama

  • Even though the name includes the word momo (peach), this wagashi does not have peach flavor.
  • It’s half-baked sweets, and it has sweet white bean paste inside. Although it looks like kuri shigure, this one has egg mixed into the white bean paste, so it has an impression of and flavor of slightly western sweets.
  • The origin of its name has several theories, but it’s said that it comes from fact that its shape resembles the roof tile used during Japan’s Momoyama Period.

●信州りんご/Shinshu Ringo (Shinshu apple)

  • An apple flavored wagashi with an extremely cute look!
  • While it’s the same amber jelly as the strawberry jelly, because the outside of the jelly is wrapped with monaka skin, the texture is very different.
  • Yummy with a refreshing apple jam like flavor!Because it looks cute too, the light texture and the deliciousness will make you smile!(smiling)The sweetness and the flavor is stronger for this Shinshu ringo jelly (characteristic)!

●塩ようかん/Salt Yokan

  • The most unique wagashi in this assorted pack.
  • classic yokan. It’s one of Japan’s top traditional wagashi made by mixing sugar and agar jelly into red bean!
  • It’s pretty packed so slightly difficult to eat, but it’s interesting to eat the bit salty red bean paste with a distinct texture! Maybe because of the salt, the aftertaste is really good, and it gets ride of the dense red bean-specific aftertaste. Delicious!
boss/anger
You can’t eat the yokan before taking a picture of it!!!!!
saori/sad
My bad...... I totally wasn’t thinking......

Which wagashi is the ultimate!!
Saori and Boss picks the BEST wagashi from the 8 types!

boss
And so we ate and compared all the wagashi.
saori/smile
It’s been a while since eating a lot of wagashi! Though there were 8 different types, I’m surprised that the flavor balances were different, and I didn’t get tired of it!
boss/smile
Agreed! It was a lineup filled with uniqueness. Now let’s announce our best wagashi!
saori/high
Sure thing!! Our best wagashi are...... These!!!

★Boss’s Best-of-Wagashi: salt monaka

★Saori’s Best-of-Wagashi: Kuri shigure

saori/smile
Wowww!!! I see!!!
boss/smile
I see~!!!
saori/closeeye
This was my first time eating kuri shigure, but everything including the sweetness, shape, texture, smell, aftertaste, was ‘classy’ yet ‘delicious’ for this wagashi! It has the sweetness of the red bean so it’s a solid wagashi but it’s also very easy to eat, so I think this yumminess can be recommended for people who’re trying wagashi for the first time too!!
boss
I chose the salt monaka, and I found out for the first time that salt and red bean is such a delicious combination! The monaka-specific texture is delicious, and it’s good to reset the mouth palette too, so I think this is a delicious wagashi that’s good for eating anytime!
saori/high
And so, we decided for today’s best wagashi to be ‘Kuri shigure’ and ‘Shio monaka,’ but...... for each one of you too, please purchase this super buy variety pack filled with these 8 types of wagashi, and decide on your ultimate wagashi too!
boss
After doing the tasting, I realized again that wagashi is flavored specifically so it goes well with green tea~. I enjoyed eating so I’m boiling some water, but do you want green tea too, Saori?
saori/smile
Yay~ yes! Can I also get one of Boss’s favorite shio monaka too?
Wagashi (Japanese Sweets)
saori
Alrighty, that’s about it for today! See you in the next article!
Bye~!

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