Japanese Sweet Only From May 30 to June 1 - "Koi," Seasonal Change of Clothing 虎屋の「更衣」

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Koi - covered with asanbon sugar

These are Japanese sweets named Koi (更衣) sold only from May 30 to June 1 by Toraya, one of the oldest Japanese confectionery manufacturers founded more than 500 years ago. It's based in Kyoto, though many Tokyoites believe that it's their local store.

I wanted to try this wagashi sweet because of its seasonality. The name, Koi, means a seasonal change of clothing (which is sometimes called koromo gae, too). In Japan, most schools change their uniforms from winter to summer ones on June 1 and vice versa on October 1. Households transition their wardrobe also at these times. And that's why this sweet is sold only for the three-day period. As its description in the lower photo says, wasanbon sugar on the surface represents ro, i.e., silk gauze, which is often used for summer kimono. I hope you can see this sheer ro coolness in the upper photo (or this photo).

Koi is made from pliable sugar-made ame candy, rice powder and wasanbon sugar. So, you can easily imagine how it tastes. I liked its natural sweetness.

As the sale period of Koi is over this year, if you want to try this, you have to wait until next year and should place an order beforehand. It's 519 yen a piece (as of 2019), a bit fancy. But by seeing and tasting this traditional wagashi sweet, you can experience Japan's value, the idea of enjoying the change of season.   

Description 

虎屋で「更衣」という和菓子を買いました。衣替えという意味らしく、5月30日から6月1日までの3日間のみの発売とのこと。予約注文をしました。

海外のこってりスイーツに慣れていると少し物足りないかもしれませんが、季節の和菓子を食べる意義は味だけではなく、季節感。表面の和三盆糖が確かに絽のように透けていて、とてもきれいでした！