Looking for a different Japanese summer dessert to enjoy? Try this traditional dessert called Anmitsu (あんみつ). It’s made with kanten jelly topped with various toppings. You can make the jelly ahead of time and the rest of dessert is just to assemble. It’s a perfect chilled dessert that does not require baking!
What is Anmitsu?
Anmitsu (あんみつ) is a traditional Japanese cold dessert made of white, semi-translucent jelly topped with a variety of sweet and refreshing ingredients. Typical toppings include sweet red bean paste (anko), shiratama dango (glutinous rice flour dumplings), a scoop of matcha ice cream, fresh and canned fruits, and kuromitsu (black sugar syrup). This jelly is called agar or kanten (寒天) and is made from red algae. Therefore, it’s vegan-friendly!
What is Kanten?
The red algae (seaweed)—the main ingredient for kanten jelly—doesn’t have a salty flavor like other types of seaweed. Kanten jelly is flavorless and there’s no need to worry about a salty taste in this dessert. Kanten is high in dietary fiber and a great alternative to traditional gelatin for those who are vegan/vegetarian. All you need to do is to dissolve the kanten stick or kanten powder in hot water and let it firm at room temperature. Unlike gelatin, kanten can retain its firm shape at room temperature. Enjoy the texture of the jelly along with other ingredients in the dessert. Don’t forget to choose fun and exciting toppings to serve with kanten! If you want to learn more about this ingredient, please read my kanten pantry page.
How to Make Anmitsu
Make the kanten jelly. See my recipe for homemade kanten jelly. Make the homemade shiratama dango (mochi balls) just prior to serving. See my recipe for how to make shiratama dango. Cut the fruit into bite-sized pieces. Assemble the anmitsu. Add the kanten jelly, fruit pieces, shiratama dango, sweet red bean paste (anko), and green tea ice cream to individual bowls. Top with optional toppings of your choice; see the next section for more details.
Fun Toppings for Anmitsu
The kanten jelly is typically served in a bowl with the following delicious add-ons. You can serve all of the toppings as I did, or pick the one you like.
Sweet red bean paste – The majority of wagashi (Japanese confectionery) includes sweet red bean paste called anko. It’s the an part of anmitsu. Mochi – This type of mochi is called gyuhi, which is made of glutinous rice flour. These Japanese sweet dumplings are chewy and soft at the same time. If you’re going to add this, follow my Shiratama Dango recipe. Green tea ice cream – You can use vanilla ice cream instead, but I wouldn’t recommend other flavors of ice cream to avoid conflict in flavors. A variety of fruits – Bananas, kiwis, strawberries, peaches, pineapples, canned mandarin orange, etc. Red endo-mame peas – Anmitsu is topped with these boiled and chilled peas. These specific peas could be hard to find. I took a shortcut and used these peas from a canned Fruits Mitsumame.
How to Serve Anmitsu
Small cubes of kanten jelly are served in a bowl and toppings are placed on top or on the side. Since the kanten is white translucent jelly, consider colorful toppings for an appealing look. Serve anmitsu with black sugar syrup (黒蜜; the mitsu part of anmitsu), made of Okinawan black sugar, and drizzle the kuromitsu syrup over the jelly before eating. Enjoy putting mouthfuls of these delicious items from the bowl… Despite all the differences in texture and flavors, this dessert represents quintessentially Japanese harmony, where everything works together.
Anmitsu Trivia
A little fun trivia for those who want to know a little bit more about the dessert. The recipe for anmitsu has actually evolved through different periods of time and you can find many variations. It started as mitsumame (みつ豆). Mitsumame is made of kanten jelly + black sugar syrup (mitsu) + red endomame peas (name). With different toppings, the dish name changes:
Fruits Mitsumame — mitsumame + fruits Shiratama Mitsumame — mitsumame + shiratama dango Cream Mitsumame — mitsumame + ice ceam Anmitsu — mitsumame + sweet red bean paste (anko) Cream Anmitsu — mitsumame + ice cream + anko Shiratama Cream Anmitsu — mitsumame + shiratama + ice cream + anko Fruits Shiratama Cream Anmitsu — mitsumame + fruits + shiratama + ice cream + anko
Do you know which one is today’s recipe? It’s the last one, Fruits Shiratama Cream Anmitsu! I hope you enjoy this colorful treat! Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
