About 2 years ago my uncle travelled all the way from California to Chennai, India (that’s where I live) to meet with family. In the course of his travel he had to change flights at Singapore. Knowing I was an avid Japanophile he decided to pick up Wagashi and other Japanese eatables. This was the first time I had ever tasted the Japanese confectionery and it was so different from the sweets I was used to in India. Now, Indian sweets can be a tad bit overwhelming to the uninitiated. I still remember the time when my British boss had a piece of laddu (traditional Indian sweet made from sugar and flour) and ended up taking the day off.

Wagashi in itself is a very simple sweet made of three main ingredients – Grains, Beans & Sugar. But what makes it a rich and complex sweet is the way these…