Kingyoku

Kingyoku (Clear Agar Jelly with Adzuki Beans)

A jewel-like Japanese wagashi set with kanten (agar), prized for its glassy translucency and the scenery you can suspend inside it. Serve chilled alongside matcha on a summer afternoon.

Prep

20 min

Cook

10 min

Total

30 min

Serves

6 to 8 small bars

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 ml (2 cups + 2 tbsp) water, soft or filtered for the clearest jelly
• •4 g (¼ oz) kanten (agar-agar), powder or bar; bar form gives the clearest set, see note in step 1
• •120 g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) caster sugar, fine white sugar, or null
• •1 tbsp mizuame (or light glucose syrup), optional, gives a glossier surface, or null
• •100 g (3½ oz) sweetened adzuki beans (an), tinned yōkan-style beans or homemade, well-drained, or null
• •1 sheet gold leaf, optional, for finishing, or null

Steps

1. 1 Prepare the mould: lightly oil a 18 cm (7 in) square pan or individual ring moulds and line the base with a piece of plastic wrap or parchment. Pat the adzuki beans very dry on paper towels — any surface water will cloud the jelly.
2. 2 Soften the agar: if using a bar of kanten, wipe it with a damp cloth and tear into 2 cm pieces, then soak in 200 ml (¾ cup) of the measured water for 20 minutes. If using powdered kanten, sprinkle it over 200 ml (¾ cup) of the water and let it swell for 5 minutes; do not dump it in or it will clump.
3. 3 Cook the jelly base: pour the soaked agar (agar + its water) into a small saucepan along with the remaining 300 ml (1¼ cups) water. Bring slowly to a simmer over medium heat and stir gently. Hold at a bare simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until every piece of agar has fully dissolved — the liquid should look clear and feel faintly slippery when you rub a drop between two fingers, with no grittiness.
4. 4 Add the sugar and mizuame: stir in the sugar and the mizuame (if using) and keep at a gentle simmer for another 2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Do not boil hard — vigorous boiling can make the jelly cloudy. If you see fine bubbles, skim them off with a spoon for the clearest finish.
5. 5 Test the set: drop a teaspoon of the liquid onto a cold saucer and put it in the freezer for 1 minute. It should set to a firm, trembling jelly that holds its shape when you tip the saucer. If it is still soft, simmer the base 1 to 2 minutes longer and test again.
6. 6 First pour (clear layer): let the agar cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then pour just enough to cover the base of your mould by about 5 mm (¼ in). Pour slowly from a low height to avoid trapping air bubbles. Leave at room temperature (not the fridge) for 15 to 20 minutes, until just set but still slightly tacky on the surface so the next layer will bond.
7. 7 Arrange the scenery: dot the sweetened adzuki beans over the tacky surface, spacing them so each finished piece will show a few beans. For a streambed look, arrange them in a loose line; for a pond effect, scatter them randomly. Press each bean in very lightly so it grips the first layer.
8. 8 Second pour: spoon the remaining agar gently over the back of a spoon or a piece of plastic wrap laid on the surface — this stops the beans from being pushed around or floating. Cover until the beans are submerged by about 5 mm (¼ in). Let set again at room temperature until just tacky.
9. 9 If using gold leaf: lay the gold leaf on the tacky surface now, lightly mist it with a few drops of water from a clean spray bottle, then pour the final layer of agar the same way as before.
10. 10 Final set: cover and leave at cool room temperature for at least 2 hours, or refrigerate (uncovered so condensation does not drip onto the surface) for 45 to 60 minutes until very firm.
11. 11 Unmould and cut: run a thin knife dipped in hot water around the edges and invert onto a board. For bars, trim the edges (the cloudy rims are traditionally discarded in wagashi practice) and cut into 4 × 3 cm (1½ × 1¼ in) pieces. For individual servings, leave in ring moulds and present on small plates.
12. 12 Serve: serve cool, not ice-cold, on small ceramic or lacquerware dishes with a bowl of whisked matcha. Eat with the fingers or with a small fork; the jelly should tremble and yield cleanly to the bite, with a clean, delicate sweetness and no rubbery bounce.