These unique candies have a crunchy exterior, a soft jelly-like center, infused with real cherry blossoms. Naturally vegan, they’re made with only 4 ingredients – sugar, agar, cherry blossoms and food coloring. Easy to make, they’re a delicious and beautiful springtime treat!
What Is Kohakutou?
Kohakutou is a traditional Japanese candy that has a dry, crunchy exterior and a soft, jelly interior. The name translates to ‘amber sugar’ since the candies often look like translucent gemstones or pieces of amber. They’re now most commonly known as ‘crystal candies’ since becoming popular on social media.
They can be made with any color or flavor. I decided to add cherry blossoms and keep them in a simple cube shape. I love the delicate flavor of cherry blossoms and I think these candies highlight it very well. They’re quite sweet, so I like to use the smallest cherry blossoms and cut the pieces quite small.
The Ingredients
- Granulated sugar. I use white sugar, but other granulated sugars can be used. Note that the darker the sugar the darker the candies will turn out.
- Agar. Use agar powder. I have not tried this recipe with flaked agar or agar strips.
- Cherry blossoms. I use salt preserved cherry blossoms which can be purchased online here. It’s my favorite place to purchase them for their quality and price! They keep for up to a year when unopened.
- Food coloring. I use a water based food coloring. Natural food coloring or beet juice can be used but you will have to play around with the amounts. The mixture is not cooked very long so the color will not change much. The color you add to the water will be pretty accurate to the color the candies will be.
How To Make Kohakutou
These candies are so easy to make! It only take about 15 minutes until they are ready to set in the fridge. The only time it really takes is letting them sit to dry to form that crunchy outer crust. Below is a simple version of the steps with a detailed version in the recipe card.
- Add the food coloring to the water.
- Stir the agar and water in a pot and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Add the sugar and bring it back to a simmer.
- Cook it for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and let it sit for another minute.
- Pour it into a square container and let it firm in the fridge for a 1-2 hours.
- Remove from container and cut into squares.
- Let them dry on parchment paper for 3-5 days.
After 1-2 days the candies will form a dry, crunchy crust around the outside. The longer they sit the crunchier the outside will become. I like to leave them for about 5 days.
These beautiful Japanese crystal candies have a crunchy outer shell with a soft, jelly-like center, delicately infused with real cherry blossoms. Theyβre fun to eat, naturally vegan, kid-friendly, and perfect for anyone who appreciates edible art!
Cherry Blossom Kohakotou (Japanese Crystal Candy)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- red food coloring, see notes
- 1 teaspoon agar powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar, see notes
- 20 salt preserved cherry blossoms
Instructions
- Take about 20 small cherry blossoms and soak them in a bowl of lukewarm water. Gently swish them around with your hand in the water to help get all of the salt off. Let them soak for about 20-30 minutes.
- Remove them from the water on to a dish towel or paper towel. Gently pat them dry. Cut off any long stems. Set aside.
- Mix the water and the food coloring. I use a water based food coloring. I like to use less then 1 drop because I find that 1 drop makes it too pink. If you want the same color as mine, I put one drop in 1/4 cup of water. I then add half of that amount (2 tablespoons) to a measuring cup. I then fill up the measuring cup with water to reach 1/2 cup. Beet juice can be used for a natural option but you will have to play around with the amounts.
- In a small pot add the water and agar. Whisk and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Bring the pot to a simmer on medium heat. Once it starts to bubble add the sugar and whisk. Bring the mixture back up to a bubble. Cook for 2 minutes. It should be bubbling and frothy.
- Take the pot off the heat. Once the bubbles settle (about 1-2 minutes) quickly skim off any foam/bubbles. If it's left in the mixture it will dry white.
- Pour the mixture into a square 5.5" heat proof container. Submerge the cherry blossoms into the mixture. Make sure to place them how you will want to cut the candy.
- Place into the fridge until set, about 1.5-2 hours.
- Once they're set, use a butter knife to go around the edges to loosen the mixture. It will be quite sticky but you should be able to peel it out in one piece. Place it on a piece of parchment paper. Cut into 20 pieces. Place the candies on a new piece of parchment paper, spacing them about 2cm apart. Let them sit at room temperature. In 1-2 days they will have a light crust. The longer they sit the dryer the crust will become which means the crunchier it will be. I like to leave mine out for 4-5 days. You can cover them with a piece of parchment paper to protect from dust. They're very sensitive to heat and humidity. If it's very humid they may not dry at all. Once they're dried store them in a sealed container at room temperature. They can last for 1-2 weeks. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Your feedback is always appreciated! Please leave a comment and star rating below. If you have a question please ask me in the comment section and I will get back to you ASAP. Thank you so much for stopping by and happy eating always!
Leave a Reply