Wagashi Nerikiri and Higashi Dry Sweets

Ingredients

• For the nerikiri dough
• 500 g shiro-an (white bean paste, koshi-an smooth style), smooth, not tsubu-an (chunky)
• 60 g gyuhi (glutinous rice mochi binder), approximately 12% of shiro-an weight; warmed to pliable consistency
• 1 tsp matcha powder, for green colouring; sifted
• 1 tsp purple sweet potato powder, for violet colouring
• 1 tsp cherry blossom pickling liquid, for pink colouring; strained
• For the higashi
• 200 g wasanbon sugar, fine-grained; Kagawa or Tokushima Prefecture origin
• 20 g rice flour

Method

1. 1
   Combine the shiro-an and warmed gyuhi on a clean work surface. Mix firmly and steadily until the two masses are fully incorporated and the dough stretches without tearing when pulled between the fingers. If unmixed patches remain, the base will tear during shaping. The dough is ready when it is smooth, uniform, and pulls away from the surface cleanly.
2. 2
   Divide the nerikiri dough into portions according to the colours required for the chosen seasonal motif. Work each natural pigment — matcha for green, purple sweet potato for violet, cherry blossom pickling liquid for pink — into its portion by folding and pressing until the colour is even throughout. Keep all portions covered immediately under a damp cloth; any surface exposed to air will dry and become unworkable. The dough is ready when the colour shows no streaking.
3. 3
   Working quickly with cool, dry hands, take each portion of coloured dough and shape it into the seasonal form appropriate to the gathering — cherry blossom in spring, maple leaf in autumn, chrysanthemum in winter — using triangle molds, bamboo skewers, and pinching techniques (kiribako, yotsude) as required by the chosen motif. Where a white-to-pink gradient (bokashi) is required, apply the layered rolling technique. A seasonal mismatch is a serious breach of wagashi etiquette and must be avoided. The piece is complete when the form holds its edges cleanly and the surface shows no cracks.
4. 4
   Set completed nerikiri pieces aside, covered, and do not store: nerikiri must be served on the day it is shaped. Moisture loss beyond that point makes the texture irrecoverable.
5. 5
   For the higashi, combine wasanbon sugar and rice flour and press the mixture into the carved wooden rakugan-gata molds with firm, even pressure. Do not over-compress: the sugar must compact sufficiently to hold the mold's seasonal motif sharply, but must remain capable of crumbling readily in the mouth. Tap the mold to release each piece. The pressed higashi is ready when it holds the mold's design without cracking and feels just firm under a fingertip.
6. 6
   Allow the pressed higashi to dry fully at room temperature. Properly dried, they are stable for several weeks. The completed piece should feel dry and faintly sandy to the touch, with no tacky surface.