The woman putting a West Coast spin on

Japan’s traditional tea sweets

By Atlas Obscura, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.24.24
Word Count 693
Level 580L

Wagashi is a traditional Japanese sweet usually served with tea. They represent different seasons. Photo: owngarden/Getty Images Photo:
owngarden/Getty Images

The Portland Japanese Garden is a peaceful spot on a hillside.

With its Japanese maple trees, the garden looks like the
countryside of Japan. But it is actually thousands of miles away
from the island nation of Japan. It is in Portland, Oregon, in the
western United States.

The garden was a way to make a connection between the United

States and Japan.

Japanese leaders loved the garden. They said it looked just like Image 1. Umami Café sits inside a Japanese
Japan. garden in Portland, Oregon. The cafe is
known for serving world-class Japanese tea
The Umami Café is a cozy teahouse in the garden. All year, it
serves Japanese tea. It also serves wagashi.

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Edible Works Of Art and various Japanese treats. Photo: Arpad
Benedek/Alamy
Wagashi are Japanese sweets. They are bite-sized. The treats
are made of bean paste, fruits and mochi. Mochi is a Japanese
rice cake. When people drink tea, they like to enjoy wagashi, too.

There are many types of wagashi. The wagashi can be baked,

steamed and jellied. Wagashi are more than just food. They are
works of art.

Stephanie Erickson runs the Umami Café. She says wagashi

help people celebrate the four seasons. That is because the
wagashi change as the seasons change. The flavor and look of
the wagashi depend on what is happening outside in nature.
Image 2. Wagashi filling can be sweet or
Gena Renaud is the person savory. They are served with tea and have
who brings these wagashi to fillings such as sweet red bean paste. Photo:
life. She one of the few yumi/Getty Images
wagashi masters in the
Pacific Northwest. Renaud
makes every piece of wagashi
for the café. She makes them
all from scratch. Image 3. Gena Renaud, creator of Yume

Renaud was born in Korea Confections, makes wagashi sweets in a

and raised in Japan. She variety of shapes and flavors. Photo: Gena

picked up a love of food from Renaud

her adoptive mother. Renaud

moved with her family from Japan to the United States at 12 years old. She studied art and became
a designer.

Many years later, Renaud was in a Japanese grocery store. She found wagashi trays there. These
trays look like ice cube trays, but with fun shapes and designs in the molds. Renaud's mother
helped her make her first wagashi. In 2010, Renaud began selling her wagashi to the public.

Many Kinds For All Tastes

There are different kinds of wagashi. Some are buttery and chewy. Some are fruity. Some are so
tiny they can fit on your fingertip. Others can be eaten up in two or three bites. "It's not something
that you're going to sit and eat for a long time," Renaud said.

Traditionally, wagashi was for a Japanese tea ceremonies. This gathering centers around the
preparation of tea. It is a moment when family, friends and fellow workers can sit together quietly.
They enjoy tea and each other's company.

Jan Waldmann is an expert on the Japanese tea ceremony. She says that teatime gives people the
chance to slow down.

Long ago, dried fruit was eaten at the tea ceremony. Over time, wagashi replaced the fruit. Now,
wagashi are often enjoyed even without tea.

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Appealing To All Five Senses

The look of wagashi matters as much as the taste. Wagashi may look simple, like clear blocks. Or,
they may be fancy. Some wagashi are carved with delicate flowers. In the fall, wagashi might be
stamped with a leaf shape. In winter, it might be stamped with a snowy pine tree.

To make wagashi, Renaud uses fruits and flowers she finds in

nature. Sometimes she uses fruits that grow in her yard.
Persimmons are a favorite.

Renaud does make wagashi a little differently for Americans.

Some of her treats are made with wheat and dairy. This is more
common in American desserts than Japanese ones.

Waldmann said Renaud's wagashi wonderfully changes the Image 4. Yokan is a type of wagashi that is
tradition. Renaud doesn't only copy the old recipes, Waldmann cube-shaped. They are usually made with
said. She also tries new things. sweet beans. Photo: Promo_Link/Getty
Images

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Quiz

1 Read the section “Many Kinds For All Tastes.” Which sentence from the section explains why people like Japanese tea
ceremonies?

(A) There are different kinds of wagashi.

(B) Some are buttery and chewy.

(C) They enjoy tea and each other’s company.

(D) Now, wagashi are often enjoyed even without tea.

2 If readers are looking for information on mochi, which section should they read?

(A) Introduction [paragraphs 1-3]

(B) “Edible Works Of Art”

(C) “Many Kinds For All Tastes”

(D) “Appealing To All Five Senses”

3 What information will the reader find in the section “Appealing To All Five Senses”?

(A) where Renaud was born

(B) how Renaud makes wagashi

(C) why Renaud first picked up a love of food

(D) when Renaud began selling her wagashi

4 Which question is answered in the introduction [paragraphs 1-3]?

(A) Where is Oregon?

(B) Who is Jan Waldmann?

(C) Why is some wagashi buttery?

(D) When did Renaud move to the United States?

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.