Day 2: Continued...

Guess what everybody!! (uhh...anybody?) I've determined my first on-going project!!! (Do the chibi dance!! <(^-^<)(>^-^)> ) I am going to identify any and all Asian pastries and desserts that I have come across!! Yes there is a reason that this is an on-going project. First off...I havn't tried that many yet..>_> But fear not! This weekend I plan to visit some of my favorite Californiasian spots and I shall report my discoveries. For the time being you'll just have to make do with the ones I have had. I've mentioned before the melonpan, cream puffs, green tea cookies, and pigs-in-a-blanket but let's face it those, for the most part those aren't too adventurous. We will have to change that!!! But for now I am going to offer you a new topic. What in the world is wagashi?? Wagashi is the common Japanese confections (aka candy) served with tea etc. But unlike the good-ole American classics like Snickers, Twizzlers, and Tootsie Rolls, Wagashi is made of primarily...wait for it...wait for it...NATURAL PLANT INGREDIENTS!! And people call Americans crazy!! I mean c'mon. Who has ever heard of making candy with anything but highly process commercial products like high fructose corn syrup, soy lecithin, and red dye #4?!! Than again the Japanese are responsible for one of the largest electronic corporations in the world (SONY) as well as the up and coming literary genre of manga, and let's not forget the nation that convinced everyone to eat their food raw! So I'm gonna say that we might as well trust them on the natural, plant ingredient-based "candy" known as wagashi. Now I haven't actually tried the stuff (on my to-do list for my next trip) but I sure as heck know what it looks like. Downright-weird as my mom puts it. Most of these confection are pressed and molded into little flowers, plants, and symbols. (Something you can't do with your average American sweet treat. Unless you are one of those weirdos who likes to mash their fruit roll-up into a little ball. Not meaning to be offensive, but that is just plain weird!) They're often remarkable beautiful and colorful, falling under the category of to pretty to eat. But one must wonder...What kind of texture would something have that can be shaped like that? My guess is a consistency perhaps similar to fondant, marzipan, or almond paste. Though I predict that the taste will not be as over-powerfully sweet or strong as those previously mentioned items. As for the taste? I really don't know. I've had red-bean paste before which does have a rather mushy and unusual texture. So it may be similar to that but I'll keep you posted. (Haha get it? posted? cause I'm writing posts and I'm gonna keep you posted about it? Sorry..but I like puns) For now make due with the picture I dug up for you on Google images.