Tokoroten (心太, ところてん) is a gelatinous dish in Japanese cuisine, made from agarophyte seaweed. It was traditionally made by boiling tengusa (Gelidium amansii) and allowing the mixture to congeal into a jelly.[1] The jelly is then pressed through an extruding device and shaped into noodles. Unlike gelatin desserts, tokoroten has a firmer texture.[citation needed]

Tokoroten
Tokoroten with soy sauce
TypeWagashi
CourseSide dish, dessert
Place of originJapan
Serving temperatureHot, cold
Main ingredientsSeaweed (tengusa, ogonori)

Tokoroten can be eaten hot (in solution) or cold (as a gel).[2] Flavorings and garnishes can vary from region to region. In the present day, it is common to eat it with a mixture of vinegar and soy sauce,[3] and sometimes nori,[4] hot pepper, or sesame. In the Kansai region, tokoroten is eaten as a dessert with kuromitsu syrup.[5]

History

edit
 
Tokoroten is made by extruding seaweed jelly through holes to form strips.

Tokoroten has been eaten in Japan for over a thousand years.[1] It is thought to have been introduced to Japan from China during the Nara period.[6]

During the Edo period, it was popular during the summer as a snack.[6] It was originally made to be eaten immediately and was commonly sold around factories.[2] In the 17th century, it was discovered that freezing tokoroten would result in a stable and dry product known as kanten (agar).[2][1] While tokoroten can be made from kanten based on seaweeds such as tengusa (Gelidiaceae) and ogonori (Gracilaria), today, commercially produced kanten is mostly made from ogonori.[6]

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Mouritsen 2013, p. 93.
  2. ^ a b c Armisen & Galatas 1987.
  3. ^ Ito & Hori 1989.
  4. ^ Stephen 1995.
  5. ^ "ところてん、関西ではなぜ黒蜜?" [Why is tokoroten eaten with kuromitsu in Kansai?] (in Japanese). The Nikkei. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Shimamura 2010.

Sources

edit