Anmitsu

Hot weather calls for anmitsu! This traditional Japanese cold dessert combines sweet agar/kanten jelly, fresh fruits, and a variety of other toppings, all drizzled with a sweet black syrup called kuromitsu. It’s a refreshing, light, and chilled sweet treat that makes it perfect for warmer weather!

What is Anmitsu?

Anmitsu is a traditional Japanese dessert that has a delicious balance of sweetness and texture. It is typically made with small cubes of agar jelly served in a bowl with a variety of toppings. The toppings include fresh fruits like peaches, cherries, kiwis, and mikan (Japanese mandarin oranges), sweet red bean past (anko), and mochi/dango (rice cakes). The dessert is then drizzled with a sweet black syrup called kuromitsu, which gives it its name – “an” (from anko) and “mitsu” (from kuromitsu). It has a refreshing taste with a fruity sweetness that makes it especially popular for eating during summer when the days are hot and sunny. The colorful ingredients make it delicious and also visually appealing dish which also makes it a popular choice in Japanese cafes and restaurants.

What do you Need to Make Anmitsu

To make a delicious anmitsu at home, you’ll need the following ingredients.

Kanten Jelly

This translucent jelly, also known as agar agar jelly, is a flavorless jelly that forms the base of Anmitsu. Kanten is made from red algae such as “tengusa” and “okonori”. This jelly has no flavour or saltiness so it is widely used to make Japanese sweets. It’s also very popular as a diet food in Japan because it is completely vegan, has very little calories, and is high in dietary fiber.

Kuromitsu (Black Sugar Syrup)

This is a sweet black syrup made from brown sugar or black sugar. You can buy this from Japanese grocery stores or online shops or make your own from scratch following this recipe.

Anko (Sweet Red Bean Paste)

This is a sweet paste made from azuki beans and is often used in Japanese desserts. It can be purchased as a ready-made paste from Japanese grocery stores or online or you can make your own using my recipe here.

Fresh Fruits

You can use whatever you like. Some suggestions are strawberries, peaches, raspberries, pineapple, cherries, kiwis, mikan (Japanese mandarin oranges) or banana.

Shiratama Dango

These are small, chewy mochi balls made from glutinous rice flour. You can make it easily from scratch with the recipe here.

Ice Cream

Ddding ice cream would actually create a variation of anmitsu called cream anmitsu (see variations below). So it isn’t essential but it does add a refreshing creaminess. You can use matcha ice cream(green tea ice cream) or vanilla ice cream. If you are making the ice cream from scratch, you need to make it the day before. See this recipe.

Red Peas (Aka Endōmame)

This is a variety of field peas that are similar to green peas but with a distinct reddish-brown color. You can buy these online but they’re not essential to the dessert so you don’t need to add them if you can’t get them anywhere.

Kinako

This is roasted soybean flour for dusting (optional). You can make this from scratch too following this recipe.

A small amount of green tea powder (matcha) for garnish (optional).

Ingredients Substitutions

If you can’t get access to any of the ingredients, then there are substitutions to help create a similar dessert, but the flavor and texture will differ from traditional Anmitsu. Here are some possible substitutions:

• Kanten (agar) jelly : Substitute with gelatin for a similar texture, though it won’t be vegetarian.
• Kuromitsu (black syrup) : Make a simple syrup with brown sugar or molasses. Use maple syrup or honey for a different but complementary flavor.
• Anko (sweet red bean paste) : Substitute with sweetened chestnut puree for a different nutty flavor.
• Fresh fruits : Use any seasonal fruits available to you. Canned fruit cocktail can work as a quick and easy option.
• Shiratama dango (mochi balls) : Substitute with small marshmallows or gummy candies for a chewy texture.

How to Make Anmitsu

Prepare the Kanten Jelly

1. Dissolve kanten powder in water according to package instructions.
2. Pour the mixture into a shallow container and refrigerate until set.
3. Once set, cut the jelly into small cubes.

Make Shiratama Dango

1. Mix shiratamako (glutinous rice flour) with water to form a dough.
2. Roll the dough into small balls.
3. Boil the dango in water until they float, then cool in ice water. See detailed recipe and instructions in this post.

Make Kuromitsu

If you are making your own, following this recipe. Otherwise you can use store bought if you can get it from Japanese grocery stores near you or online.

Make the Anko Red Bean Paste

The day before if you are making from scratch and store it in the refrigerator.

Prepare Red Peas

If you are using red peas, they need to be soaked over night so start to soak the night before.

Prepare the Fruits

Wash and cut your chosen fruits into bite-sized pieces.

Assemble the Anmitsu

1. In a bowl, place a portion of the kanten jelly cubes.
2. Add a scoop of sweet red bean paste.
3. Arrange the shiratama dango and cut fruits in the bowl.
4. If using, add a small scoop of matcha ice cream (to make cream anmitsu).

Serve

Drizzle black sugar syrup (kuromitsu) over the dessert just before serving.

How to Serve Anmitsu 

Serve Anmitsu with a side of cold green tea, hojicha, or mugicha (barley tea) in summer. In cooler months, pair it with hot green tea, genmaicha, matcha latte and hojicha latte for a comforting contrast.

Variations of Anmitsu

• Cream Anmitsu : this is anmitsu with ice cream. It adds a tasty creaminess to the dessert and goes well with the other ingredients.Typically matcha or vanilla ice cream would be used.
• Anmitsu Yokan : this is a combination of two traditional Japanese desserts – anmitsu and yokan. Yokan is made from mixing agar agar or kanten and red bean paste (anko) poured into a mold. So the two desserts are quite similar and combining the two works well.
• Mitsumame :  this technically isn’t a variation of anmitsu but it is a similar dessert. The difference between Anmitsu and Mitsumame is the topping; either An (sweet Azuki bean paste) or mame (beans). I don’t like the particular mame used in Mitsumame because it is kind of a hard cooked peas and not sweet but rather tasteless. I always picked them all out, so I usually make Anmitsu.