Food and culture
Tea and sweets
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Sencha, matcha, hōjicha: the types of Japanese tea
Japanese teas all come from one plant. How shading, steaming, rolling and roasting turn its leaves into sencha, gyokuro, matcha, hōjicha and genmaicha. -
Wagashi: Japanese sweets and the seasons
Wagashi are Japan's traditional sweets of bean paste, rice flour and sugar. Their types, their history, and the sweets that mark each season, from sakuramochi to moon-viewing dumplings.