Katsura candy - Katsura candy

...Originally it referred to a decoction of Rehmannia glutinosa, which was used as a medicine, but it eventually came to refer to the candy that was made by adding Rehmannia glutinosa to starch syrup, and then to the candy itself without Rehmannia glutinosa, which was corrupted to "gyosen." In the early Edo period, famous candies were the Kikuichimonjiya candies in front of Tofukuji Temple in Kyoto, Katsura candy from Katsura Village, and Hirano candy in Osaka, which were highly valued in Edo and called "kudari candy" or "kudari gyosen." Solid candy is made by kneading starch syrup to reduce the water content, and white candy is made by having two people pull it together to incorporate air bubbles and turn it white. ...

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Katsura Ame" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…もともとは薬とされたジオウの煎汁をいうのだが，やがてそれを水あめに加えたものをいうようになり，さらにジオウを入れぬあめそのものの呼称になり，なまって〈ぎょうせん〉ともいった。江戸初期，京都では東福寺門前の菊一文字屋のものや桂の里の桂あめ，大坂では平野あめなどが有名で，これらは江戸で〈下（くだ）りあめ〉〈下りぎょうせん〉と呼んで珍重された。　水あめを練って水分をへらしたのが固あめ，これを人がふたりで引き合って気泡を含ませて白くしたのが白あめである。…

※「桂あめ」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報