Fruit Kanten (Agar Jelly with Fruit)
フルーツ寒天 · Furutsu Kanten
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Fruit kanten is a classic Japanese snack: a lightly sweetened milk jelly set with kanten (agar), cut into little cubes and mixed with canned fruit. Kanten is made from seaweed, so it sets firmly at room temperature and gives a clean, slightly crisp bite that is quite different from wobbly gelatin. Children love fishing out the mandarin segments and pineapple chunks, and the milk jelly makes it a gentle, refreshing treat on a warm afternoon. Cutting everything to the same small size keeps it easy to scoop up with a spoon.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 0.6 gkanten powder (agar powder)A seaweed-based setting agent that gels firmly at room temperature and is plant-based. Substitute: Agar-agar powder; gelatin can be used but gives a softer, wobblier set.
- 30 gwater
- 30 gmilk
- 22.5 gcanned mandarin oranges
- 15 gcanned pineapple
Seasonings
- 4.5 gsugar
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- kanten powder (agar powder) (粉寒天)
- A seaweed-based setting agent that gels firmly at room temperature and is plant-based. Substitute: Agar-agar powder; gelatin can be used but gives a softer, wobblier set.
Directions
- 1
Warm the milk in a saucepan to about 40°C (105°F).
- 2
Put the kanten powder and water in a separate saucepan, bring to a boil, and keep simmering for about 2 minutes until the kanten has completely dissolved. Add the sugar and stir well. Add the warm milk from step 1 a little at a time, stirring as you go.
- 3
Pour into a shallow container such as a baking tray and chill in the refrigerator until set. Cut into 1.5 cm cubes.
- 4
Cut the fruit into pieces about 1.5 cm in size.
- 5
Mix the jelly cubes from step 3 with the fruit from step 4, and drizzle a small amount of the syrup from the canned fruit over the top.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 63 kcal | 126 kcal | 63 kcal |
| Protein | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Fat | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12.9 g | 25.8 g | 12.9 g |
| Fiber | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Calcium | 36 mg | 72 mg | 36 mg |
| Iron | 0.2 mg | 0.3 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Potassium | 79.5 mg | 159 mg | 79.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 63 kcal | 1.2 g | 1.2 g | 12.9 g | 0.8 g | 0 g | 36 mg | 0.2 mg | 79.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 126 kcal | 2.4 g | 2.4 g | 25.8 g | 1.5 g | 0 g | 72 mg | 0.3 mg | 159 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
