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Dans la lune

April 19, 2016

Kohakutou – Japanese Wagashi sweets

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Kohakutou — Japanese Wagashi sweets

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Kohakutou — Japanese Wagashi sweets

Ingredients

  • 2g agar agar powder (kanten powder)
  • 150g white sugar
  • 150g water
  • 1 tbsp syrup which you like (monin syrup, maple syrup, mint alcoholic liqueur, etc….)

Instructions

  • 1. Have a container ready (high temperature proof) and syrup on the side as well.
  • 2. In a cooking pot, add water and agar powder. Melt the powder over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Heat and stir until the agar powder melts completely. It usually takes about 1 to 2 mins.
  • 3. Add the sugar. Melt the sugar, stirring constantly to prevent burning with a spatula. It will be very foamy and bubbly. Keep on stirring for about 5 mins.
  • 4. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into the container. Quickly add 1 tbsp syrup (not more) of your choice (or a tiny amount of food coloring, using tooth picks.) Mix well.
  • 5. Chill in the fridge until it has set. It should be firm enough to cut.
  • 6. Remove from the fridge and cut into small pieces (about 2 to 3 cm dices) and place them on a baking sheet. You can also coat the pieces with sugar to make them sweeter.
  • 7. Let the candies sit there for 2 to 3 days (it may even take up to 5 days, as it depends on so many factors : climate, season,...). Eventually their surface should dry out completely. The candies will be crystallized with a jewelry finish. They are crunchy outside, but inside texture is like jelly.
  • You can keep your “kohakutou” in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.
© 2023 Copyright Dans la lune
https://atelierlalune.com/2016/04/kohakutou-japanese-sweets-wagashi/
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71 Comments Filed Under: Asian & Wafu, Candies, Cooking, Cooking Recipe, Japanese, Sweet, Sweet cooking

Comments

  1. Faith says

    March 29, 2019 at 7:52 pm

    Please tell me were I can order some of these candies please?

    Reply
    • panda says

      March 29, 2019 at 9:14 pm

      Hi Faith,
      I only give the recipe for making them here, I don’t sell the candies themselves on the website.
      Actually they are quite traditional japanese candies so am not sure we can find them outside Japan.

      Reply
    • Jen says

      May 31, 2019 at 3:12 pm

      Hi! I was wondering if I could put these in a turned off oven to dry instead of on the counter? I don’t them to get in the way or for ants to get to them.

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • panda says

        June 1, 2019 at 9:43 am

        Hi Jen,
        Not sure if humidity would escape from a turned off oven. I havent really tried that.
        Here’s what I do : I put a glass at each corner of the tray and then I lay a gauze kitchen towel over it. Hopefully jamming the towel/cloth below the tray on each side will protect from intruders…

        Reply
    • Candice says

      February 9, 2022 at 10:10 am

      Look on Etsy, their are sellers on there

      Reply
  2. Angelica says

    April 16, 2019 at 5:30 pm

    For how long can i keep a freshly made kohakutou? Because I was planning on making them for an event weeks beforehand and I am worried they might spoil quickly.

    Reply
    • panda says

      April 18, 2019 at 9:46 pm

      Dear Angelica, you may keep them at room temperature for about 2 weeks. You could also extend this by keeping them in the fridge.
      Hope you like them!

      Reply
  3. Alba says

    July 28, 2019 at 7:43 am

    Hi, how did you color your candy? Can they be more see through, like glass?

    Reply
    • panda says

      July 28, 2019 at 2:44 pm

      Dear Alba, for colouring I use off-the-shelf food colourings, monin syrups or grenadine.
      When making them, they will take this mat aspect because of the sugar cristallisation process.
      However you can simply cut them to reveal a more see-through looks.
      Enjoy!
      Yasuko

      Reply
      • Alba says

        July 29, 2019 at 9:41 pm

        thank you!

        Reply
        • Abbey says

          November 29, 2019 at 2:42 am

          Hi, I was wondering what brand agar agar you used. Was it telephone brand? Or a different Japanese variant? Thanks!

          Reply
          • panda says

            November 29, 2019 at 7:29 am

            Hi, I don’t use a particular brand so I think the one from your local store will do just fine. As we now live away from Japan I definitely try to manage without Japanese imports.

  4. Diana says

    August 9, 2019 at 5:53 am

    Hello,

    I was wondering if it’s possible to use citric acid for a more of a sour flavor? And if so, when would be the best time to add it?

    Reply
    • panda says

      August 9, 2019 at 9:45 am

      Hi Diana,
      Oh that’s a very good idea. You want to make sort of sour drops? To be honest I never tried. Hope it turns out well!

      Reply
      • Sas says

        December 16, 2022 at 6:00 pm

        I use a tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice, and it tastes very good. Double the quantity for a bit more pucker.

        Reply
    • Liz says

      December 17, 2019 at 2:27 pm

      Hi! I’ve actually tried using citric acid, kool aid, and other flavored powders for this. I usually add in the desired amount I want (depending on how much you want it to taste like the flavoring you want) after the sugar has dissolved. This makes it easier to know that all of the sugar is dissolved because most flavored powders are colored.

      Reply
  5. Ann says

    January 4, 2020 at 1:06 am

    Hello, I used a malaysian jelly powder hoping it would work but it did not set at all its been in the fridge for more than overnight :(

    Reply
    • panda says

      January 4, 2020 at 10:47 am

      Hi! I think you really have to stick to agar agar, it is not exactly equivalent to jelly powder :-)

      Reply
      • Ann says

        January 4, 2020 at 8:55 pm

        Ohhh! That’s where I went wrong.. so only use AGAR AGAR? I thought agar agar was the same as normal jelly powder. Thank you for your help :)

        Reply
        • Preetiz says

          June 16, 2021 at 11:05 am

          I used jelly powder and it solidified. But i used a little more than the suggested agar agar.

          Reply
      • Ann says

        January 4, 2020 at 8:58 pm

        Also, when cooking the agar agar, do you have to bring the water to a boil?

        Reply
        • panda says

          January 4, 2020 at 11:25 pm

          You’re welcome, yes indeed we bring it a boil. I’ll try to fix a video soon!

          Reply
          • Ann says

            January 5, 2020 at 1:50 am

            That would be awesome!! Thank you so much Panda. I’m going to try the actual agar agar powder today. I just bought the Thai one.

      • rachel says

        April 18, 2022 at 6:02 pm

        does it work if my jelly powder was made from stabiliser?

        Reply
        • Dans la lune says

          May 19, 2022 at 2:18 pm

          Hello, you will need agar agar to make kohakuto… :)

          Reply
  6. Ann says

    January 8, 2020 at 9:26 am

    Hello, I was just wondering what brand agar agar agar powder did you use and can I get the Japanese brand somewhere online?

    Thank you. :)

    Reply
    • Dans la lune says

      January 8, 2020 at 8:09 pm

      Hi Ann – I think getting the japanese one online delivered to you might be an excessive hassle. Better try and find some from a Malaysia selling place then. When I google i come across these https://www.jayagrocer.com/product?variant_id=23662. I don’t know Malaysian online retail but surely there must be trustworthy ones.

      Reply
    • panda says

      January 12, 2020 at 6:31 pm

      Hey Ann, I have just finished the video for this recipe. Feel free to look it up on the kohakuto post itself or on https://youtu.be/dwtWbARQ954
      Hope it helps!

      Reply
  7. Alex says

    February 7, 2020 at 7:53 am

    how many candies does this make? (on average)

    Reply
    • Dans la lune says

      February 7, 2020 at 8:45 am

      Dear Alex,
      Thanks for visiting!
      I usually fill up a small (well a standard french size) jam jar with these quantities.

      Reply
  8. Sachi says

    February 7, 2020 at 11:45 am

    Hi! I just tried this recipe a few days ago, I’m not sure if it’s because of the climate but I’ve had my little jellies out for almost 3 days now and it’s no where near the crystallization process. Is there something I can do to hopefully speed up the process???

    Reply
    • Dans la lune says

      February 7, 2020 at 2:06 pm

      Hi Sachi,
      Let’s see, I think even when we lived in Hong Kong (i.e. humid climate) we’d already have some level of dryness after 3 days…
      So I feel if it’s still sticky maybe something went wrong. Do you want to try and boil it a bit longer?
      Also I recently added the video to this recipe. Do you want to take a look?
      Let me know! Hope you can make it!

      Reply
      • Sachi says

        February 8, 2020 at 1:45 am

        Thank you! I think I’ll try it again and maybe use a little less water.

        Reply
  9. Kelvin Yuen says

    April 23, 2020 at 3:24 pm

    Hi! I made a original version and it was a success! I find it a bit too sweet tho. Do you think it is possible to replace water and syrup with juices to balance the sweetness?

    Reply
    • panda says

      April 23, 2020 at 8:54 pm

      It’s a good idea. Actually on the sweet side I use water with syrup, and at the other end of the spectrum I use coffee for a more fancy approach. Hope it works well, let me know!

      Reply
      • Kelvin says

        April 24, 2020 at 4:44 pm

        So today I used a bottle of Suntory grapefruit juice 200ml, sugar 200g and agar powder 2.5g. Unfortunately the jelly didn’t set and turned into a pastel like paste. I think the reason is the acidity of the juice. The flavor of the pastel is quite good but I think it would be even better with 1-2 tsp of lemon juice. Will try again!

        Reply
  10. Yael says

    April 23, 2020 at 10:56 pm

    Can we put sprinkles inside the jelly before it sets?

    Reply
    • panda says

      April 23, 2020 at 11:30 pm

      Interesting, I never tried but it should be OK. Now one thing I can think of : Dont add them while the mixture is hot as it might alter the color of your sprinkles. Try to add them when it is at room temperature but obviously still liquid ;-) Enjoy!

      Reply
  11. Lily says

    May 18, 2020 at 5:34 pm

    I was wondering if I wanted to send these in the mail will they melt?

    Reply
    • panda says

      May 18, 2020 at 5:48 pm

      I don’t think they would melt. But because they are fragile and you don’t want them to get crushed, they would need a kind of hard case. Having said that I have never tried so I wouldn’t send them too far/long either :-)

      Reply
      • Lily says

        May 18, 2020 at 6:28 pm

        Okay, thank you for answering me so quickly!!! :)

        Reply
  12. Ameera says

    July 5, 2020 at 12:32 pm

    Can I use a substitute for the agar agar?

    Reply
    • Dans la lune says

      July 5, 2020 at 1:48 pm

      Unfortunately not. You need agar agar I am afraid…

      Reply
  13. Axel says

    August 2, 2020 at 6:53 pm

    How long should be be in the fridge for?

    And if they’re not setting should I try putting them in the freezer to speed up the reprocess?

    Reply
    • panda says

      August 2, 2020 at 8:21 pm

      Hi – it’s got the agar agar in, so it should really set eventually. Actually it can even set at room temperature. As an example in my fridge it takes usually 2 to 3 hours.
      Hope it works out!

      Reply
  14. C@T says

    December 13, 2020 at 5:40 am

    Is it possible to let the candies sit for 2-3 days in a fridge instead of room temperature? I used fruit juice when making mine and they would get spoilt if I leave it out.

    Reply
    • panda says

      December 13, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      The idea behind leaving them outside is to let them dry. That’s not going to happen inside the fridge… Maybe you can use a less perishable syrup?

      Reply
  15. Riya says

    December 17, 2020 at 12:09 am

    My candies havent crystalized yet and its been 2 days. Did i do something wrong? I’m where its humid so is that why?

    Reply
    • Dans la lune says

      December 21, 2020 at 10:18 pm

      Hmmm I used to live in HK, where it is quite humid, and even there the surface would probably start to dry up on day 2… Did you use less sugar?

      Reply
  16. Vd says

    June 11, 2021 at 5:57 pm

    Hey So can i take out the sugar and add jsut some vanilla extract since my grandma isnt into sweet things

    Reply
    • panda says

      June 12, 2021 at 12:01 am

      I am afraid since this is supposed to be a candy I am not sure about avoiding sugar…

      Reply
  17. J says

    June 14, 2021 at 1:19 am

    Can I use tea instead of plain water?

    Reply
    • Dans la lune says

      June 16, 2021 at 10:05 pm

      Yes, definitely you can

      Reply
  18. bee says

    June 19, 2021 at 12:22 pm

    will the kohakuto dry faster if i put it in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Dans la lune says

      June 19, 2021 at 12:44 pm

      To dry up, it should be left outside.

      Reply
  19. Andrew says

    June 27, 2021 at 4:04 am

    Is there a substitute I can use for the sugar? I want to make this for someone I know but they are diabetic.

    Reply
    • Dans la lune says

      June 30, 2021 at 12:15 am

      Sorry I don’t think this can be done… Kohakutou is a kind of sugar candy.

      Reply
    • Sabrina-Marie Fisher says

      June 27, 2022 at 10:31 pm

      It can. I used monkfruit sugar and swerve sugar to make some for my mom whose keto!

      Reply
      • Dans la lune says

        September 24, 2022 at 11:54 am

        Great :)

        Reply
  20. Maddy says

    August 29, 2021 at 7:56 am

    Hi, I was wondering what can be added to the recipe that will flavour the kohakutou, and if something was added can I still use food colouring as well?

    Reply
    • panda says

      August 29, 2021 at 11:48 am

      Yes you can definitely flavour it. I can suggest coffee https://youtu.be/H3jN4EV1iZ8 or green tea https://youtu.be/rge1dCMS_A4 or probably any syrup you like. You can still add colouring but I suppose it will mix with the color you just added.

      Reply
  21. Tara says

    November 13, 2021 at 9:28 am

    Hi, these are so pretty! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
    Just wondering, what is the syrup for here? Is it more for flavouring, or it is essential to get the texture?
    I was wondering if I can make it just with agar, sugar, and water (without syrup).

    Reply
    • Dans la lune says

      November 14, 2021 at 7:56 pm

      Hi! Indeed the syrup is only here for flavor and color (i also do kohakuto using coffee, tea or green tea). So you can skip it alright. Enjoy making!

      Reply
  22. Shazzybot says

    November 22, 2021 at 3:14 pm

    I just made the recipe last night and was wondering if I should be turning them over to let the underside dry out or just leave them in one place the whole time. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Dans la lune says

      November 23, 2021 at 7:53 am

      Once the top side of the candy is dried up, please turn them around. And repeat to achieve an even dry texture.

      Reply
  23. Emily says

    February 4, 2022 at 10:59 pm

    Hi, can I use xantham gum as a substitute for agar agar??

    Reply
    • Dans la lune says

      February 5, 2022 at 1:36 pm

      Hello, you will need agar agar not xantham gum for this canday :)

      Reply
      • Jazzy says

        April 2, 2022 at 3:56 pm

        May i use jelly powder for this?

        Reply
        • panda says

          April 5, 2022 at 11:01 pm

          I am afraid, jelly powder is a bit different so it won’t turn into kohakuto.

          Reply
  24. aru says

    February 12, 2022 at 9:32 pm

    Hey, so I’ve tried this a couple times and instead of using water in the beginning I added juice and it ended up half setting and melting when left out. Tips?

    Reply
    • panda says

      April 5, 2022 at 10:38 pm

      I am sorry I am not too sure sure. I have tried syrup not juice…

      Reply

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