Traditional sweets for "O-higan" お彼岸のおはぎ
One of Japanese national holiday "Shunbun-no-hi" ( = the spring day),
which is known as Vernal Equinox Day.
The day time and the night time are equal in a day in Japan.
It's today, 21st March this year.
(It's changed by the year, 20th March for some years.)
"Higan", or more commonly "O-higan" is a day linked to Buddhism,
and refers to a week around "Shunbun-no-hi" (Vernal Equinox Day)
or "Shubun-no-hi" (Autumnal Equinox Day).
So "O-higan" comes twice a year.
"Higan" literally means other shore in Japanese. During this period, people often visit their family graves/cemeteries, offer flowers and some food called "Bota-mochi" or "Ohagi",
and pay respect to their ancestors.
I think I can say this O-higan of March as "Autumnal Equinox Day" here in South,
as it's autumn.
In association to the day, I cooked the traditional sweets "Ohagi"
(rice cake covered with sweet azuki beans paste)" of my favorite.
And some fusional ones, too.
日本ではお彼岸の時期ですね。 子供のころ毎年父方の実家で、
天ぷらやけんちん汁と共に、大きな丸い牡丹餅を食べたことを思い出します。
お彼岸にちなんで、初挑戦。
こちらは秋だから、『牡丹餅』でなく『おはぎ』になるのかな。
定番のつぶあんと、きなこ・黒ごま。
それから・・・
変り種のココナッツおはぎ
アジアン・スイーツでも
おなじみのコンビですね。