Kyoto

Kyoto, Japan’s capital from 794 to 1868, enjoys special distinction for its traditional Japanese confectionery (wagashi). See wagashi. Tea masters recognized the excellence of Kyoto confectionery in the early 1600s: the term “Kyoto Sweet” (Kyōgashi) first appeared in 1627 in the tea diary Matsuya kaiki (Matsuya Record of Gatherings). Within a decade, when many Portuguese-inspired recipes were included in lists of the city’s “local products,” Kyoto had become a center for “Southern Barbarian Sweets” (nanbangashi), rivaling Nagasaki. See nanbangashi and japanese baked goods. By the end of the century, when the confectionery trade was fully established in Japan, Kyoto’s sweet makers had opened branch shops in Edo (Tokyo).