first uji gori of the year.

strong sweet green tea [macha] poured over shaved ice the consistency of spun sugar, topped with sweet azuki beans and mochi and macha jelly and macha ice cream. what could be better in the summer heat.

japanese spring wagashi

these wagashi [japanese sweets]are for late spring and evoke to iris and water, and the fresh green plum that are in the markets now. they are made from mochi and sweet white bean paste and are from a historic shop in gion.

sweets, modern, part 1

there's such a range of "western style" sweets here, from the spare and fabulous french treats at le petit mec [our favorite] to the plastic, fantastic over-the-top cake-y settos. we're documenting them all.

Sweets, traditional, part 1

the wagashi [traditional japanese sweets] are beautiful and witty, and always subtly refer to the seasons. they're
sometimes a little disappointing to western tastes unless red bean paste, mochi, or pressed sugar is your thing. as an incurable sweet tooth, i'm able to indulge happily.
note: peony and maple leaves are made of sugar!

street finds #3