Japan has different kinds of fruit jelly that you can eat and drink. They are sweet and cool. They are good for snacks and desserts. Let’s learn about the different kinds of jelly fruit from Japan and what they are made of.
The Different Kinds of Jelly Fruit from Japan
Mixed Jelly
If you want a dessert that is easy to find, you can buy mixed fruit jelly. They have many fruits in them like apples, oranges, and peaches. You can find them in stores in Japan. You should put them in the fridge before you eat them. They are very tasty.
Konjac Fruit Jelly
Konjac jelly fruit can be snacks or drinks. They are made from a plant root called konjac. Some people think this root is good for you because it has a lot of fiber.
Konjac jelly fruit snacks are like candy. They come in a pack that you can squeeze. You have to cut a part of the pack and then sip the jelly. They have many flavors like grape, lemon, and cherry.
Konjac fruit jelly drinks are like juice with jelly in them. You can drink them and enjoy the fruit jelly too. They also have many flavors like apple, pear, and muscat.
Orihiro is a brand that makes a lot of konjac jelly fruit products. It makes both snacks and drinks with konjac jelly fruit.
Kanten Jelly Fruit (フルーツ寒天ゼリー)
Many fruit jelly desserts from Japan are made with kanten. Kanten is something that makes things turn into jelly. It was found in Japan a long time ago.
You can make kanten fruit jelly at home even if you are not in Japan. You only need kanten powder and some other things that you can buy easily. It is a good dessert for hot days.
Kanten does not have any taste, so it can take the taste of any fruit juice that you like. It is also good for people who want to lose weight because it makes them feel full fast.
Kanten has three kinds: powder, stick, and thread. The powder kanten is the easiest to use.
What is Kanten?
Kanten is made from seaweed that is dried and made into powder or sticks or threads. It comes from red seaweed called gelidium (or tengusa in Japan). Kanten does not have any calories, but it has a lot of fiber.
Kanten is not only used for fruit jelly desserts, but also for Japanese sweets called wagashi (和菓子). One example is anmitsu, which is kanten jelly with dango (rice balls), fruits, red bean paste (azuki), and mitsu (a sweet syrup).
Kanten vs. Agar
Japan has two kinds of things that make jelly fruit. They are kanten and agar. They both come from seaweed, but they are different. They have different ways of feeling in your mouth.
Agar is made from red seaweed that has something called carrageenans in it. It is like gelatin. Kanten is made from another kind of red seaweed called tengusa. It is not like gelatin. It is harder and breaks easily.
So if you want to make fruit jelly with kanten, you should not use agar instead. You will not get the right feeling in your mouth. For example, there is a fruit jelly dish called Tokoroten (Japanese jelly noodles) that needs kanten because it is hard.
Is kanten the same as gelatin?
No, kanten and gelatin are different. Kanten does not have any taste or smell. And it is not clear like gelatin. It is more white. It is also harder than gelatin and does not melt when it is warm.
Is kanten jelly vegan?
Yes, vegans can eat kanten because it is made from seaweed. Gelatin is made from animals, so vegans cannot eat it.
How to Make a Simple Jelly Fruit with Kanten
You can make it with kanten easily. You only need kanten powder and some fruits. You can buy kanten powder in Japanese stores or online. Here is a simple recipe you can follow.
What you need
- Some fruits (you can choose which ones you like)
- Fruit juice (like apple juice). Look at the kanten powder label and see how much water you need. Use juice instead of water.
- Kanten powder
- Sugar
- A box or ice cube tray. If you have a nagashikan, that is better because the kanten will not stick to it.
How to make it
- Wash and cut the fruits into small pieces that you can eat easily.
- Make the jelly by heating the juice in a pot. Add the kanten powder and sugar as much as you like. Make it boil.
- Put the fruit pieces in the box or tray you have.
- Pour the hot jelly over the fruit pieces in the box or tray. Let it cool down.
- When it is cool, put it in the fridge and wait for it to become hard.
- When it is cold and hard, you can eat your homemade fruit jelly with kanten.
Conclusion
Japan has many kinds of jelly that you can buy or make yourself. They use different fruits and flavors too. They mostly use konjac and kanten to make fruit jelly. And if you have kanten powder, you can make your own jelly fruit with any fruits you want.