Seeing family & friends’ pictures of the gorgeous cherry blossom trees from back home makes me miss my country a little bit lately. Whenever I feel this way, I like making traditional things to feel closer to my roots.
Kanten or agar agar (derived from red seaweed) is something I grew up eating in the summer months because it’s refreshing and very easy to digest when you don’t have much of an appetite due to the super hot & humid weather.
Some benefits:
Fiber found in agar agar has digestive benefits (removes toxins and helps with constipation). Agar agar is high in calcium & magnesium so it can also support bone health.
I used to just make it plain and eat with azuki beans & a bit of maple syrup but I like adding flavors & colors these days to make it more appealing.
Kanten
Ingredients:
3 cups water
4 Tbsp agar agar flakes
1 cup roasted purple sweet potato, mashed
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 kiwi, sliced (optional)
Direction:
Bring water to boil and mix in the agar agar flakes until completely dissolved. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Mix in mashed sweet potato & maple syrup. (Optional: put the kiwi slices on the bottom of a glass container) Pour the mixture (over the kiwi) and let it come to room temperature. When it’s ready, put it in a fridge until firm (about 1 hour). Slice & enjoy.
