【Reading】みずがし

【English Name】Mizugashi (Fresh Fruits as Dessert)

Mizugashi is a traditional Japanese name meaning fruit, served at the conclusion of a meal at sushi restaurants and in kaiseki cuisine. From ancient through medieval times, fruit was a part of "kashi" (confections), but around the mid-Edo period, processed goods using sugar and the like came to be written as "kashi" and natural fruit as "mizugashi." Toward the end of the Edo period the custom of calling it "kudamono" spread in the Kyoto and Osaka areas, and the word "kudamono" (fruit) was established. In a sushi omakase course, seasonal fruits such as melon, strawberry, and persimmon are cut into small pieces and served. The character for "water" (mizu) derives from the juiciness of the fruit, and there is also the alternative name "kigashi" (tree confection). It is still used at prestigious sushi restaurants and ryotei.