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Konpeito or Confeito Sugar Candy

Konpeito or Confeito Sugar Candy

Konpeito or Confeito


I don’t know if it’s the new de-stressing night shower gel that I’m using that’s triggering some whacky dreams in the middle of the night or my own mental incapacity for stable reality - either way, I’m dreaming really weird stuff (pause for greater emphasis). 

My dreams are always somewhat quirky, relaxing and enjoyable. They’re wonderfully fantastical dreams too, a la Spirited Away. I even have a breathtakingly white/blue-ish (uhuh, I dream in colour) companion dragon that allows me to merge bodies with it when the need arrives to protect myself from or attack evil relatives (don’t get me started…these dreams are insane).

I love Spirited Away. I felt that was a spectacular work of art - definitely a spar k of genius - and something I wouldn’t ever forget. It’s craziness, seemingly off-balance reality coincided with my own and sort of made sense even though it really didn’t. One awesome film that still inspires me till today. Anyway, on this subject, if you’ve seen the film, you might recall the little Soot Sprites squealing excitedly for star-like candy during their lunch break. I was passing through Kyoto Foodie’s blog and whilst reading Wagashi: Daimonji Senbei and Kompeito 京都 大文字 送り火 せんべい こんぺいとう 

I came across pictures of konpeito (or kompeito) and kohaku sweets. This post is wonderfully informative with great pictures and I had such great fun staring at them. Thing was, I’d seen these sweets in the film and I really wanted to have them myself.

So how did I come about finding these adorable sugar stars? Funny thing was I really was headed to the convenience store for some mints, a couple of biscuits and maybe a drink just to keep me awake at the shop. But when I saw these guys, I couldn’ t help giggling like a foolish child and running to the till to pay for them. I nearly tripped over my own two feet in my excitement. This really reminds me of jelly beans and how we would get so excited over the colours and flavours of the jelly beans as a kid, screaming at the top of our voices the flavours we were about to shotgun so no one else could have it. There’s something so simple and yet really fun and dreamy about them.

Pictured here are konpeito from Kasugai. Cute packaging and lightweight at 66gm - I had no trouble bringing it around with me in my handbag and then sneaking it out for a few shakes of konpeito on the train ride home, much to the envy of the not so candy-savvy commuters. Enveloped now in my candy happiness with thoughts only of purple bears and fluffy clouds, I reckon I’ll have a good night’s sleep or some other crazy but positively sweet dream.