A traditional wagashi made of sweet white bean paste (shiroan) mixed with glutinous rice flour and sugar, steamed into a soft, dense cake. Often colored pink or half-pink-half-white and shaped into auspicious forms. The name 'suama' (寿甘) means 'longevity sweet' — eaten at celebrations and as a tea ceremony sweet.
Suama is a classic wagashi dating to the Edo period. The name combines the kanji for longevity (寿) and sweet (甘) — the sweet is associated with auspicious occasions and longevity celebrations. The pink and white colors are particularly auspicious: the combination (kōhaku) is reserved for celebratory foods in Japan. Suama is made from simple, accessible ingredients (white bean paste, rice flour, sugar) and was therefore both a household sweet and a professional wagashi. It remains a traditional tea-ceremony sweet.
A piece of suama is a dense, soft, slightly chewy square of sweet — often half-pink, half-white. The first bite is sweet and beany, with the delicate flavor of white bean paste; the glutinous rice flour gives it a satisfying, almost mochi-like chew. Eaten in small pieces with bitter matcha, which balances the sweetness.
Suama's texture depends on the ratio of white bean paste (shiroan) to glutinous rice flour (shiratamako or mochiko). The shiroan provides sweetness and bean flavor; the rice flour provides the chewy, mochi-like structure. The two are combined with sugar and a little water, kneaded smooth, then steamed. The steaming gelatinizes the rice flour starches, setting the structure. Pink color (from food coloring or benibana safflower) is added to part of the dough, and the two colors are layered or twisted together for the auspicious pink-white pattern.
Variations
Some versions add chestnut or matcha flavoring; the shape varies (square, flower, fan) by occasion.
On the Palate
Where Suama sits in the Japanese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
6 steps · 15 min
- 15 min
Combine white bean paste (shiroan) with glutinous rice flour and sugar.
- 25 min
Knead into a smooth dough; add water if too dry.
- 33 min
Divide; color part of the dough pink with food coloring or benibana.
- 45 min
Layer or twist the white and pink dough together into desired shape.
- 510 min
Steam for 15-20 minutes until set.
Watch outSteam fifteen to twenty minutes until the dough sets firm to the touch — under-steamed the center stays raw and gluey and won't hold its shape.
- 61 min
Cool before serving; present with matcha.
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