Fruit Kanten (Agar Jelly)
フルーツ寒天（乳なし） · Furutsu Kanten
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Kanten is Japan's traditional jelly, set with agar made from seaweed rather than gelatin, so it holds its shape well even on a warm afternoon. Here the milky jelly is made with soy milk instead of dairy, cut into small cubes and mixed with canned mandarin oranges and pineapple, with a spoonful of the fruit syrup to bring it all together. The gentle sweetness and soft, cool bite make it a snack even small children can manage easily. Let the soy milk come to room temperature first: cold soy milk can cool the hot kanten mixture too quickly and keep it from blending smoothly before it sets.
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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 gsweetened soy milk (Japanese chosei tonyu)Japanese 'prepared' soy milk that is lightly sweetened and flavored to taste milder than plain soy milk. Substitute: Regular (original, lightly sweetened) soy milk from the supermarket.
- 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.
- sweetened soy milk (Japanese chosei tonyu) (調製豆乳)
- Japanese 'prepared' soy milk that is lightly sweetened and flavored to taste milder than plain soy milk. Substitute: Regular (original, lightly sweetened) soy milk from the supermarket.
Directions
- 1
Let the soy milk come to room temperature.
- 2
Put the kanten powder and water in a separate saucepan, bring to a boil, then cook for about 2 minutes until the kanten has fully dissolved. Add the sugar and stir well. Add the soy milk 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 roughly 1.5 cm pieces.
- 5
Gently toss the kanten cubes and the fruit together, then drizzle with a small amount of the syrup from the canned fruit.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 63 kcal | 126 kcal | 63 kcal |
| Protein | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Fat | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12.9 g | 25.8 g | 12.9 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Calcium | 12 mg | 24 mg | 12 mg |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 0.9 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Potassium | 85.5 mg | 171 mg | 85.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 63 kcal | 1 g | 1 g | 12.9 g | 1 g | 0 g | 12 mg | 0.5 mg | 85.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 126 kcal | 2.1 g | 2.1 g | 25.8 g | 2.1 g | 0 g | 24 mg | 0.9 mg | 171 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.
