Anmitsu — agar jelly with bean paste, fruit, and kuromitsu

i. Origin & history

Anmitsu evolved in the early 20th century from mitsumame, a simpler dessert of agar jelly and beans with syrup. A Tokyo confectioner added the bean paste in 1930 and the new version stuck. It remains a beloved kissaten (Japanese coffee-house) summer dessert.

ii. Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 4 g kanten (agar) powder
• 500 ml water
• 20 g sugar
• 1 small can mikan (tangerine) segments
• 2 ripe strawberries, sliced
• 100 g red-bean paste (anko)
• 8 small mochi balls (shiratama dango)
• 2 tbsp boiled red peas (canned)
• 60 ml kuromitsu (dark sugar syrup)

iii. Method

1. Whisk kanten, water and sugar in a small pan. Bring to a boil, simmer 2 minutes to dissolve fully.
2. Pour into a shallow tray and cool to room temperature, then chill until firmly set — 2 hours.
3. Make shiratama dango if needed: mix 50 g shiratamako with 45 ml water; shape into 8 balls; boil 3 min; cool in iced water.
4. Cut the jelly into 1 cm cubes.
5. Arrange jelly, mikan segments, strawberry, mochi balls and red peas in shallow bowls. Spoon bean paste on top. Pour kuromitsu over just before eating.

iv. Tips & common mistakes

• Kanten, not gelatin. Kanten gives a firmer, cleaner-cutting jelly than gelatin.
• Pour syrup at the table. Pre-poured anmitsu floods and looks tired.
• Chilled bowls. A warm bowl wilts the agar quickly.

v. Variations

Cream anmitsu adds a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Matcha anmitsu uses matcha-flavoured jelly. Fruit anmitsu emphasises seasonal fruit over beans.

vii. More from Japanese

• Kuzumochi — kudzu jelly with kuromitsu
• Yokan — firm bean-paste jelly
• Zenzai — red-bean soup with mochi
• Agar-Agar Jelly — tropical-fruit set jelly
• Mitarashi Dango — skewered rice dumplings
• Daifuku — mochi with bean filling