Kanten, also known as agar agar, is extracted from seaweed and used as a gelling agent. It has a long history in Japan for use in traditional sweets like mizuyoukan. Our new kanten from clearsprings is made in japan following a traditional method. Clearspring has an excellent homepage with details on the individuals who produce their kanten. We highly recommend you take a look.

We’ll be experimenting with it too over the next few weeks and will post some recipes on our homepage. Basically speaking though you need about one heaped tablespoon of kanten flakes for 250ml liquid. Acid prevents jelling so you’ll need a little more if you’re making a citrus jelly. Add the flakes, then heat the liquid without stirring and simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the flakes are dissolved. Pour into a mould and cool until set.

Below you can see the red seaweed which is used to produce kanten. The second photo shows the kanten being produced. The final picture shows how the kanten is freeze dried outside during the winter.