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Mizu yokan is a Japanese red bean jelly dessert that turns sweet anko, water, and agar into a smooth chilled treat with a clean finish. This dessert is usually made by dissolving kanten agar in water, then mixing it with smooth red bean paste and sugar until the mixture becomes even and glossy. After pouring into a mold, it sets as it cools and becomes firm enough to slice while still feeling soft and silky. The red bean flavor gives gentle earthy sweetness, while the higher water content makes mizu yokan lighter than regular yokan. The final dessert is refreshing, simple, and elegant, making it easy to serve with green tea, fruit, whipped cream, or as a cool Japanese-style sweet for warm days and quiet tea time.
Transcript
00:00Mizu-yokan is one of my favorite traditional Japanese summer desserts.
00:03Sweet red bean paste meets silky kanten jelly,
00:07creating a melting mouth treat that is both rich and refreshing.
00:11For a printable version of this recipe, visit my website,
00:14just google Mizu-yokan space statue to find me.
00:17We're going to start with a small pan and add 2 grams of kanten powder.
00:21This plant-based setting agent is used to make many Japanese jelly desserts.
00:26I usually use the powdered form that comes in these 4g sachets,
00:30so you will need half a sachet for this recipe.
00:33Next, we're adding 15g of sugar and we're going to give it a mix.
00:38The purpose of the sugar here is to help stop the kanten from clumping together.
00:42I used light brown sugar, but white sugar is also fine.
00:47Next, add 500ml of cold water and whisk it together.
00:51Typically, it is recommended to use 4g of kanten powder for every 500ml of water,
00:57but I wanted to make an extra soft and delicate Mizu-yokan, so I used less kanten.
01:03Place the pan on the stove and bring it to a boil over medium heat while stirring continuously.
01:09I use a spatula and mix gently while scraping the bottom of the pan.
01:13This is going to prevent a jelly layer forming on the bottom,
01:17which can cause lumps if not taken care of.
01:20I also recommend a spatula because we don't want to create foam or air bubbles.
01:25The continuous mixing also stops it from boiling over.
01:29Once it starts bubbling, set a timer for 2 minutes.
01:32Kanten is not like gelatin, it needs to be boiled to activate the setting properties.
01:37If you don't let it boil, then it's not going to set.
01:39Also, make sure to keep mixing here.
01:42Again, we don't want a jelly layer forming at the bottom of the pan.
01:46Once it's been boiling for 2 minutes, reduce the heat to the lowest setting,
01:49and then add 400g of smooth red bean paste we call koshiyan.
01:54We're adding it 1 quarter at a time to make sure it is thoroughly incorporated into the kanten mixture.
02:00The gentle heat will melt the koshiyan, making it silky and smooth without any lumps.
02:06It's also important to mix gently.
02:08Figorous mixing will create unwanted air bubbles.
02:12I used store-bought koshiyan today, but if you're looking for a challenge,
02:15feel free to check out my homemade koshiyan recipe on my blog.
02:19All the links to relevant recipes are in the description.
02:23Once all of the red bean paste is incorporated, add a pinch of salt,
02:27give it a mix, and then take it off the heat.
02:32We're going to place the base of the pan in a pot of cold water and continue to mix.
02:36This will release some of the heat.
02:38This is not only to speed up the cooling,
02:40but it's also to help keep the red bean paste suspended in the jelly.
02:44If you take it from the heat and pour it straight into the mould,
02:47you might find that the red bean paste sinks and leaves a clear layer on top.
02:53Once it's cooled slightly, and there's not too much steam coming out, pour it into the mould.
02:58I'm using a traditional Japanese canton jelly mould called Anagashikan.
03:02This one is 13.5 x 15cm, which is about 5.3 x 5.9 inches.
03:09If you can't get one, a cake pan with a removable base can work.
03:13Just make sure to wrap it with foil at the bottom to prevent leaks.
03:17And of course, if you want to take a more fun route, you can use any shape jelly mould you
03:21like.
03:21Just make sure it's heat proof, since we're pouring the mixture in while it's still hot.
03:26If there are any bubbles, use a spoon to scoop them out.
03:29Now, we just leave that to cool to room temperature, and once it's there,
03:33cover it and carefully place it in the fridge until it's chilled to your liking.
03:38Canton sets really fast, within an hour or so,
03:41but mizuyokan tastes better cold, so I like to give it 2 hours.
03:45After it's completely chilled, take it out of the fridge and put it out of the mould.
03:50I'm just going to carefully slide it onto a cutting board, it's so satisfying.
03:54This mizuyokan recipe is really delicate, so be careful not to break it.
03:58It's all shiny and smooth on top, it came out beautifully.
04:02Next, I'm going to cut it into rectangles, which is pretty traditional for yokan.
04:07Use a large knife and cut it into thick pieces so that it doesn't fall over.
04:12This recipe makes about 8 servings, and you can store them in the fridge for 2 or 3 days.
04:19And that's it, beautifully glossy and silky homemade mizuyokan,
04:23the perfect rich yet refreshing jelly dessert for summer.
04:28Want even more delicious recipes?
04:30Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
04:34Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time,
04:37and if you're ready to cook, grab the written instructions by clicking the full recipe box with
04:41a picture that's about to pop up on your screen.
04:44Here we go, the link to the full recipe is on the screen for you now,
04:48and if you want to watch more familiar videos,
04:49don't miss my dessert playlist popping up on your screen as well.
04:52Thanks so much for watching, and I hope to see you in the next one. Bye.
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