Tanabata Star Festival Jelly
七夕ゼリー · Tanabata Zeri
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Tanabata, the Star Festival on July 7, celebrates the legend of Orihime and Hikoboshi, two stars who are allowed to meet across the Milky Way just once a year. Preschools in Japan mark the day with wishes written on paper strips and hung on bamboo, and a starry dessert like this one at snack time. The milky white jelly is set with kanten (agar, a seaweed-based gelling agent) and sweetened soy milk, so it is dairy-free and egg-free, and cutting it into little stars is what makes children's eyes light up. Tossed with mandarin and pineapple and a spoonful of their syrup, it looks like a night sky in a cup - and the trimmings never go to waste, because they become second helpings.
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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 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
- 30 gwater
- 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
Warm the soy milk in a saucepan to about 40°C - roughly body temperature (if it gets too hot, the jelly takes much longer to set). In a separate pot, combine the kanten powder and water and boil, stirring, until fully dissolved, then add the sugar and mix well. Stir in the warm soy milk.
- 2
Pour the mixture into a shallow tray and chill in the refrigerator until set. Cut out stars with a star-shaped cutter (chop the leftover trimmings and add them in, or save them for second helpings).
- 3
Drain the canned mandarin oranges and pineapple and cut them into 1.5 cm dice.
- 4
Combine the star-shaped jelly with the fruit, then spoon some of the syrup from the canned fruit over the top.
Kanten will not set unless it is fully dissolved, so keep the pot at a boil and cook until every trace of powder has melted.
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.
