Kanten, an ingredient that is rich in dietary fiber and low in calories, is considered to be an ideal ingredient for summer desserts or wagashi Japanese sweets.
Made from seaweed extract, it can actually be used in a variety of dishes, including soups, which can be thickened with kanten.
It is made from seaweed such as tengusa and ogonori, both of which are red.
According to the government's 2015 Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, the dietary fiber per 100 grams of kanten in the shape of a rectangular bar is 74.1 grams, much higher than the 6.1 grams from boiled burdock or the 6.8 grams from a can of boiled soybeans.
"Many people suffer from constipation during winter, perhaps because they feel reluctant to engage in much physical activity," said cooking expert Yoko Kosuge, who has been studying kanten for more than 20 years and has recently written a recipe book on soups that include the ingredient.
Kanten comes in three forms: rectangular blocks, shredded and powdered.
"Kanten powder is easy to use," Kosuge said. "But when it's not available, use the other types. Before cooking, break apart either a block or shredded strips into smaller pieces and soak them in water for about 10 minutes."
Adding kanten to a simmering soup thickens the dish and keeps it warmer for a longer period of time. Boil 2 grams of kanten in 250 to 300 milliliters of water for 1 to 2 minutes when preparing a soup.
Kosuge shared two potage recipes, the first of which is a turnip kanten potage that includes a lot of garlic to enrich the flavor of the otherwise bland main ingredient.
Cut half a turnip into four wedges for a garnish, and thinly slice the remainder. Also slice onion and garlic. Put olive oil in a pot and saute the onion and garlic until the onion becomes translucent.
Add the turnip slices and saute further. Add water and consomme soup stock powder and let the mixture simmer. Cook the turnip wedges set aside for the garnish in the same pot, and remove them when they are cooked through.
Let the mixture cool and then churn it with an immersion hand blender until smooth (Photo 1). Add milk and kanten powder (Photo 2) before letting it simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the soup in bowls and garnish with the turnip wedges.
If you take your time eating the dish, it will slowly harden starting from the edge. However, it is also fun to eat the soup while breaking the hardened parts. When heated, the soup returns to its liquid form.
"You can use soy milk instead of dairy milk if you prefer," Kosuge said. "Once the soup cools down and becomes solid, you can cut it into pieces and add them to a salad or put them on bread."
You can cook pumpkin kanten potage in almost the same way as the turnip soup, but not using garlic.
For the garnish, soften pumpkin in a microwave and remove the skin. Cut the skin into an appealing shape. (A cookie cutter comes in handy for this step.)
The soup can also be made with shiitake mushrooms, carrots, spinach or chrysanthemum leaves as the main ingredient.
"If you find it tiresome to make potage, you can simply add milk and kanten powder to cooked vegetables to make a soup," Kosuge said. "Enjoy experimenting with kanten in a variety of dishes."
Ingredients (serves 2):
Garlic-flavored turnip potage
3 turnips (280 grams)
¼onion (50 grams)
2 cloves of garlic
400 ml water
200 ml milk
2 tsp kanten powder
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp consomme soup stock powder
salt, pepper
Pumpkin potage
one-eighth pumpkin (150 grams)
¼onion (50 grams)
300 ml water
200 ml milk
2 tsp kanten powder
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp consomme soup stock powder
salt, pepper
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