A classic Japanese parfait of small cubes of firm agar jelly topped with sweet azuki bean paste, boiled peas, seasonal fruit and often a scoop of mochi, served with kuromitsu (black sugar syrup) poured over at the table. Cool, jiggly and lightly sweet, it is a beloved summer dessert.
An evolution of mitsumame created at the Ginza confectioner Wakamatsu in 1930 (Showa era), anmitsu adds anko to the agar-jelly-and-syrup base.
Cold agar cubes are firm and clean-snapping, almost flavorless on their own, so they let the deep molasses sweetness of the kuromitsu and the dense red bean paste shine. Fruit adds tartness and the mochi a soft chew, all cool and refreshing.
Agar (kanten) sets into a firm, heat-stable gel at room temperature, giving a cleaner snap than gelatin and holding its shape even in syrup. The neutral jelly acts as a textural foil that balances the concentrated sweetness of the toppings.
Variations
cream anmitsu (with ice cream), fruit anmitsu, matcha syrup instead of kuromitsu, shiratama anmitsu
On the Palate
Where Anmitsu sits in the Japanese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · 25 min
- 15 min
Dissolve agar powder in water and a little sugar, then bring to a boil.
Watch outBring the agar right up to a full rolling boil, not just hot — agar won't set firm unless it actually boils to dissolve, or the jelly comes out soft and weepy.
- 230 min
Pour the agar liquid into a shallow tray and chill until firmly set.
Watch outAgar sets at room temperature, so pour it into the tray while still hot — let it cool in the pot and it seizes into lumps before it's flat.
- 35 min
Cut the set jelly into small even cubes.
- 410 min
Boil red peas or beans until tender and lightly salt them.
- 510 min
Make kuromitsu by simmering brown sugar with water until syrupy, then cool.
- 62 min
Arrange the agar cubes in serving bowls.
- 73 min
Top with red bean paste, the peas, cut fruit and mochi or shiratama.
- 81 min
Pour kuromitsu over just before eating.
