Originally from Japan, kohakutou are breathtaking edible jewels that have enchanted thousands of individuals on social media with their captivating colors and fragile forms.
Outside this radiant rock candy, the sugar utilized in the recipe crystallizes, forming the crunchy outer coat concealing the gummy-like consistency hiding inside. Their vibrancy is matched with their versatility, often coming in a variety of shapes, colors and flavors! Although they may seem intimidating to create, making these crystal-like candies is easy!
In this recipe, agar-agar powder is vital. If you’re like me, then this might be the first time you’ve even heard of agar-agar powder, and you’re probably asking what the hell it is. Let me be the first to open your eyes. Agar has several uses, including as a base for bacteria to be cultivated in a lab setting, and as an ingredient in several Asian dessert recipes. It can be used as a laxative, appetite suppressant and a substitute for gelatin. I know what you’re thinking. It’s basically god in the form of a powder, but that’s not true! It also comes in string form.
Like any deity, agar has an old history. According to legend, it was accidentally discovered by a Japanese innkeeper in 1658 after throwing out some old seaweed soup and finding it had gelatinized overnight in the winter cold. Over time, it was gradually used in all forms of Asian cuisine.
Now, agar-agar powder can be found in your local Asian market, or if you’re out in the boonies with miles of open fields surrounding you, then you can order it online, but at a much higher price. I found mine at my local Tokyo Asian Market, 2112 N. 10th St. in McAllen.
You can use any brand of agar-agar powder for this recipe, but I find that the Thai Telephone brand works best. I can only pray you’re familiar with the other ingredients like water and sugar, but different flavorings may seem out of your reach as well. You can find them in your local Hobby Lobby, as well as an Asian market if you’re looking for more exotic flavors (like the majestic flavor that is mango). They’ll give your kohakutou a real kick, as well as relatively natural coloring. I won’t bore you with the chemical process of how these extracts are made in an organic chemistry lab, but let me tell you, it’s eye-opening. In my own experience, we made banana extract, and the fact that bananas were never used in the process makes you question everything you ever thought you knew.
Ingredients
2 cups of water
15 grams of agar-agar powder
4 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons of flavoring (optional but you’re really going to want to get flavoring unless you’re just into plain sugar flavor)
food coloring
Recipe
- Add water and the agar powder in a pot and bring it to a boil until the powder is dissolved.
- As it begins to boil, add all 4 cups of sugar into the pot, making sure to stir it well until the combination looks clear and slightly bubbly.
- Carefully pour the contents of the pot into a pan, preferably a heavy-duty glass baking pan; that way, you have more of a visual when you start adding color.
- At this point, you can either skip the flavoring extract and use regular food coloring to give the contents color, but I recommend using flavoring, such as mango or strawberry extract, which will make your kohakutou more enjoyable! Once you’ve added the food coloring, flavoring (or both), use a toothpick to swirl in the colors to the rest of the contents, making sure not to burn yourself!
- Once you’ve dyed the contents and they’ve cooled to a certain degree at room temperature, place it in the fridge to solidify overnight for best results.
- Once the contents have turned into a gummy-bear consistency, remove it from the fridge and place a piece of wax paper on something stable, such as a cookie sheet, where you won’t move too much and where any little critters won’t get to it.
- Now, you can begin breaking the contents into rock- or jewel-shaped candies! If you’re going for a more jewel-like texture, I suggest using a small knife to form a more controlled, cleaner cut look for your sweets. But if you’re looking for a more natural, jagged, rocklike consistency, simply break it off with your hands.
- As you’re breaking/cutting your jewels into their desired shapes and sizes, place them on the wax paper, making sure they’re not touching.
- Let your confections crystallize for at least two to three days. Don’t forget to flip your candy at the midway point of this step to allow all sides a chance to crystallize properly!
- Voilà! You now have beautiful candy with which to impress your friends and co-workers!
