Japanese Desserts

Wagashi, a traditional Japanese confectionery, served with green tea ,is made from natural ingreidents. Its meaning of name is natural beauty from the ancient literature. Wagashi has been popular for many decades.

Wagashi has various kinds of itself; you can enjoy most of it during the whole year---spring, summer, fall and winter.Here are some types of it.

The first, Anmitsu, has two kinds.
Anmitsu is made of cube of agar jelly, red algae, seaweed and peas, peach slices, pineapple and cherries. The final addition is black syrup.

(1)Mitsumane---without red bean paste

(2) Cream Anmitsu---ice cream is on top of it.

Amanatto: its basic materials are red beans, refined sugar and syrup.

Botamochi: materials---red bean paste, rice flour, or other prowder, like peanut prowder---must be prepared in advance. Its production is springtime.

Dango: it is a kinds of dumplings, made of mochi and rice flour, served with green tea.

Bocchan Dango:there are three colors about it. The color green is made from green tea; the white, eggs; while, the red is red beans.

Chichi Dango: its materials are simple. They are rice flour and pigments of diferent colors.

Ikinari Dango:it is a steamed bun with chunks of sweet potato in the drought, its center is red bean paste. It is the local confectionery in Kumamoto.

http://www.japanikuiku.com/tag/wagashi/

1. confectionery: sweets/candy, chocolate, etc.

2.agar:a type of fungus with a large top, that looks like a mushroom.

3.syrup:any thick sweet liquid made with sugar, used especially as a sauce.

4.chunk:a fairly large amount of something.

5.pigment:a substance that exists naturally in people, animals and plants and gives their skin, leaves, etc. a particular colour.

Kimono

Kimono is Japanese tradition garment, mostly designed for women, men and children. The literal meaning: "ki"= "wear"; "mono"="thing". Therefore, it's a "thing to wear".



Traditionally, kimonos are made of silk, silk brocade, silk crepies and satin weaves. Silk is considered as the basic material of Kimono. Modern ones are also popularly available for its less-experience easy-care fabrics such as rayon, cotton sateen, cotton and polyester and other synthetic fibers.


Kimonos were worn with up to a dozen or more colorful contracting layers. The patterns in kimonos are usually butterflies or cherry blossoms, would be worn in spring.



The cost of it is very expensive, each of it may cost over US$20,000 ; so far, there are still many kimono companies recycling second-hand kimonos with lower prices.


For women, there are various types of kimonos to wear; For men, they have only one kind to wear. However, when you want to put on a kimono, you must choose the one according to Japanese tradition--- occasions and personal identity. It eleven kinds, and here are six kinds of it.



Irotomesode: single color, patterned only below the waistline. You must be married and are allowed to put on at weddings as close relatives of groom and bridge.


Kurotomesode: it is designed for married women, the mothers of groom and bridge at weddings. It is more formal than Irotomesode, the most formal kimono for married women.


Furisode: the most formal kimono for unmarried women, you must be unmarried female relatives of groom and bridge at weddings and wedding receptions.


Homongi: worn by friends of the bridge at weddings, receptions and formal parties. it does not matter if you are married or unmarried.


Tsukesage: it is wornby married women in small areas, mainly below the waistline.


Ironmuji: it has nothing to do with if you are married or unmarried, mainly worn at tea ceremonies. Its silk has no-different color.

(In order)

(if you want to see more information, just reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimono)

1. Reception: a formal social occasion to welcome somebody or celebrate something

2. Synthetic: artificial, man-made; made by combining chemical substances rather than being produced naturally by plants or animals.

3. Polyester: a strong artificial fabric, often mixed with other fabrics and used especially for making clothes.

4. Rayon: a smocth fabric made from cellulose, used for making clothes.

5. Brocade: a thick heavy fabric with a raised pattern woven especially from gold or silver silk thread.

6. Satin: a woven fabric with a smooth shiny surface.

7. Crepe: a light thin fabric, made especially from cotton or silk, with a surface that is coveredin lines and folds.