Wasanbon

Wasanbon (和三盆) is a fine-grained Japanese sugar, traditionally made in the Shikoku prefectures of Tokushima and Kagawa, centered to the towns of Kamiita-cho and Donari-cho in Tokushima, where it has been made since about the 1770s.

It is a light golden colour, with granules slightly larger than icing sugar, and has a unique aroma and flavour, with butter and honey overtones.

Wasanbon is used in making sweets and yōkan, as a coffee and tea sweetener, in dipping sauces at sushi restaurants, and in baking at home.

The traditional manufacturing process of wasanbon involves 8 stages, and takes roughly 20 days as a whole.

The pieces are then washed and kneaded with water 4 or 5 times, to refine the sugar in them and make it whiter.