noun
fresh Japanese sweets
Typically contains red bean paste (anko) and is meant to be eaten soon after making. Contrasts with 干菓子 (higashi, dried sweets).
老舗の和菓子屋で上生菓子を買った。
I bought high-quality fresh Japanese sweets at a long-established Japanese confectionery shop.
生菓子は日持ちしないので、早
Fresh Japanese sweets don't keep long, so please eat them soon.
noun
fresh Western-style sweets
Refers to Western-style cakes, pies, and pastries that contain fresh cream, fruit, or other perishable ingredients. Contrasts with baked goods that keep longer.
このケーキ屋の生菓子は、生クリームがたっぷり使われている。
The fresh Western-style sweets at this cake shop use plenty of fresh cream.
生菓子の詰め合わせを贈り物にした。
I gave an assortment of fresh Western-style sweets as a gift.
General term for Japanese sweets, including both fresh (生菓子) and dried (干菓子) varieties.
General term for Western-style sweets. 生菓子 in sense 2 is a subset of 洋菓子 that is fresh and perishable.
Compound of 生 (nama, 'raw, fresh') and 菓子 (kashi, 'sweets'). The term originally referred to fresh Japanese confections but later extended to fresh Western-style pastries.