Milk Kanten Jelly (Elementary School Portion)
【小学校】牛乳かん · Gyunyu Kan
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese elementary school lunch menu
Gyunyu kan, or milk kanten, is one of the best-loved desserts on Japanese school lunch menus. It is a gently sweet milk jelly set with kanten, a seaweed-based gelling agent that firms up cleanly and gives a tender, slightly firm bite rather than a wobbly one. Canned mandarin segments tucked into the bottom of the tray add a bright, tangy contrast that children love. With only water, kanten, sugar, milk and fruit, it comes together in minutes on the stove and then simply chills until set.
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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 elementary school, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 0.8 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.
- 29.9 gwater
- 88.8 gmilk
- 36.6 gcanned mandarin oranges
Seasonings
- 9.8 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
Drain the canned mandarin oranges in a colander and arrange them in a shallow tray.
- 2
Pour the milk into a microwave-safe container and microwave at 1200W for about 30 seconds to 1 minute (1 to 2 minutes at 600W), until it reaches about 40°C (104°F). Don't overheat it: if the milk is too hot, the jelly takes longer to set, so aim for milk that feels just slightly lukewarm when you dip a fingertip in.
- 3
Put the water and kanten powder in a pot and bring to a boil, then cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat, add the sugar and mix well. Stir in the warmed milk.
- 4
Pour the mixture into the tray of mandarin oranges from step 1 and let it cool until no longer hot. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour until set.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 116.6 kcal | 233.1 kcal | 116.6 kcal |
| Protein | 3 g | 6 g | 3 g |
| Fat | 3.3 g | 6.6 g | 3.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 20.1 g | 40.2 g | 20.1 g |
| Fiber | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Calcium | 102 mg | 204 mg | 102 mg |
| Iron | 0.2 mg | 0.3 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Potassium | 161 mg | 321.9 mg | 161 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 116.6 kcal | 3 g | 3.3 g | 20.1 g | 0.8 g | 0 g | 102 mg | 0.2 mg | 161 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 233.1 kcal | 6 g | 6.6 g | 40.2 g | 1.5 g | 0 g | 204 mg | 0.3 mg | 321.9 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese elementary-school 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.
This is the elementary-school portion of Milk Kanten (Japanese Milk Jelly) (larger quantities, same method).
