Yokan – Japanese Seaweed Jelly Recipe

Yokan or Youkan [羊羹] is a thick jelly made with agar (gelatin made from red algae) and azuki bean paste. In this article, we will talk a little about this traditional Japanese dish and its recipe.

Most of the time it is sold in sliced blocks and individually packaged. They are usually sweetened with sugar, honey, brown sugar, molasses, and may contain ingredients such as nuts, fruits, and grains.

Some regions of Japan invent their own recipes using some local specialty. Yokan can also contain grated chestnuts, persimmons, figs, sweet potatoes, among others.

We also recommend reading:

• Nori – Everything about the famous seaweed used in sushi
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• Yaki Manju – Learn about the sweet filled with beans and its Recipe

Types of Yokan

There are 2 Types of Yokan: “neri yōkan” and “mizu yōkan”. Mizu means water, so it means that it has more water than “neri yokan”, and has a lighter and more gelatinous texture. It is usually refrigerated and eaten in the summer.

There are also “shiro an” which are yokan made with white bean paste, allowing them to be flavored and colored with ingredients such as green tea. This type of yokan is milky and translucent with a much milder flavor than that made with azuki.

History of Yokan

Yokan was based on a Chinese gelatin made from sheep, which gave rise to its name, meaning Sheep and Thick Broth.

The yokan was introduced to Japan by Zen Buddhists during the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, around 1191. As Buddhism prohibits killing, they replaced animal gelatin with wheat flour and azuki beans.

Agar began to be used after being discovered during the Edo Period around 1800. Yokan is one of the most popular Japanese sweets, which evolved a lot during the Edo Period, as sugar became more available.

Ogura Yokan Recipe

In this recipe, you will learn how to make Ogura Yokan.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of azuki beans;
• 3 cups and 2/3 of sugar;
• 1 pinch of salt;
• 1 teaspoon of kanten (agar-agar) powder – Japanese or another good quality*;
• water;

Preparation method:

Dissolve the kanten in a small bowl with 2 teaspoons of cold water and set it aside.

Prepare the Anko:

1. Cook the azuki in water in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes;
2. Blend the cooked beans in a blender with 1 cup of the broth left from cooking, to make it creamy;
3. Transfer to a pot, and add 3 cups of sugar and 1 pinch of salt;
4. Bring to the heat and when it starts to bubble, lower the heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it reaches consistency (point to roll), completely releasing from the bottom of the pot. Now set aside;

Put 3 tablespoons of water in another pot and then the kanten. Bring to low heat, stirring, and add 2/3 cup of sugar and mix well so that the sugar dissolves.

When heated, add the anko, and increase the heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to boil again.

Lower the heat and continue stirring, so that the sweet reaches the ideal consistency point (about 10 minutes after boiling), that is, it releases again from the bottom and the sides of the pot, forming a very thick mass, somewhat hard to stir, tending to stick around the wooden spoon, forming a cake in the center of the pot.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Place the sweet in a small, square or rectangular container lined with plastic wrap (PVC), to facilitate removal, and press the surface well, smoothing it with a spoon; the sweet should have a height of 3 cm or more (it can be decorated by making grooves or waves with a fork or another utensil).

Let it cool, close the container, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. It is ready to cut and serve.

Tips: The kanten (agar-agar), after dissolving in water, should be shiny, light yellow, somewhat transparent, similar to unflavored gelatin, and the smell of seaweed very mild; products that appear opaque, greenish in color, and with a strong “sea breeze” smell should not be used in this recipe, as they compromise the flavor of the sweet.

Yield: approximately 15 pieces