Dig Japan vol.41 “Ariheito (有平糖)”
Dig Japan is a series in which I research and introduce in English topics related to traditional Japanese culture that interest me. In this article, I will introduce ariheito. Ariheito is a candy made by boiling down sugar and starch syrup. It requires advanced skill to knead the candy while it is still soft and mix it with air. It was introduced to Japan as a type of nanbangashi, and is often used in the tea ceremony, and some are decorated according to the season.
Both ariheito and regular candy use starch syrup and sugar, but the difference is in the ingredients. Regular candy uses starch syrup as its main ingredient, with a higher proportion of starch syrup than sugar. Starch syrup, made by converting starch into sugar, has the effect of suppressing sugar crystallization, giving it a smooth texture.
On the other hand, ariheito is made mainly from sugar, and only the minimum amount of starch syrup is used to prevent sugar crystallization. Because the proportion of starch syrup, which easily absorbs water, is low, it is resistant to humidity, and because it is boiled at high temperatures, it is also resistant to heat. Therefore, it can maintain its quality better than regular candy, even during the humid rainy season or on hot summer days. In addition, because it is made by rolling it thinly, it has a crispy texture.
Ariheito is a type of European sweet that was presented to various feudal lords by Portuguese missionaries during the time of Oda Nobunaga. The word “Ariheito” comes from the Portuguese word “alferoa,” which means sugar candy. At the time, sugar was very expensive, and beautifully crafted ariheito was a rare commodity that only a privileged few could obtain.
It wasn't until the Edo period, when sugar production increased, that it became available to the common people. During the reign of the eighth shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune, confectioners of ariheito were given special treatment compared to other merchants, allowed to wear haori (a traditional Japanese coat), hakama (traditional Japanese formal kimono), and swords, and were allowed to enter Edo Castle through the main gate instead of the side gate that ordinary merchants used.
Thus, as the shogunate favored ariheito, the craftsmanship evolved into even more refined. At the end of the Edo period, the art of making ariheito reached its peak, with seasonal flowers, plants, butterflies, and other things being made from candy, and it began to be used as a sweet for the tea ceremony. There is an anecdote that a butterfly would land on the candy, mistaking it for a real flower, because it was so beautiful.
This article was written by 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐨, working as a freelance translator and PR for overseas apparel brands in Japan, with the aim of broadening her own knowledge of traditional Japanese culture and spreading it to the world.
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