日本語は英語の後に続きます。Japanese follows.
There are many Japanese wagashi sweets that
express “camellia (tsubaki in Japanese)”
blooming in winter at this time.
“Tsubakimochi” that I had at the tea gathering
the other day is a Japanese sweet from winter
to early spring with a rice cake of Domyoji
sandwiched beteween camellia leaves. It is
said to be the oldest rice cake sweets in Japan,
and there is a scene in The Tale of Genji where
people eat pears and “tsubakimochi” after
enjoying kemari (ancient football game of the
Imperial Court).
The light pink Hime-tsubaki (literally means
princess camellia) is made by Chimoto.
Hime-tsubaki is camellia sasanqua. The camellia
“nerikiri (a Japanese cake made of white bean
jam which is coloured and shaped)” with a little
snow makeup was also delicious with a bowl of
matcha.
この時期、冬に咲く椿を表現した和菓子が
多い。先日のお茶会でいただいた椿餅は
道明寺の餅を椿の葉で挟んだ冬から初春に
かけての和菓子。
日本最古の餅菓子といわれており、蹴鞠を
楽しんだ後に梨や椿餅を食べる場面が
源氏物語に登場しているそう。
中紅花色の姫椿は、ちもと製。姫椿とは
山茶花のこと。少し雪化粧した椿の
練りきりも抹茶と美味しくいただいた。