Next in my Japanese Summer Noodle Series is Tokoroten. These refreshing, fun jelly noodles are extremely unique and refreshing!
Noodles made of jelly may sound weird, but I highly recommend giving Tokoroten a chance! While many people outside of Japan aren’t familiar with this dish, it’s a popular and traditional summer noodle dish that has been around for over 1000 years. It’s super healthy (the noodles have no carbs!), fast to make, and refreshing so it’s perfect for a quick summer meal.
A little about the noodles
The noodles are made from a jelly that is cut into noodles. The jelly is made from water mixed with a firming agent made from seaweed. Traditionally, it’s made from ogonori (a type of seaweed) but it’s now often made with kanten or agar agar (which uses tengusa, another type of seaweed). The water and kanten is heated and then cooled, forming the jelly. Then, the jelly is cut into noodles, most commonly by using a tokoroten noodle press, but it can also be cut into thin noodles by hand.
The noodles are completely flavorless, don’t have carbs, and are gluten-free and vegan. They’re actually great alternative noodles if you want something healthy (for other dishes). Because of their high water content, they are extremely refreshing, light, and hold the flavor of the sauce well.
Regional differences
In Japan, regional variations of foods are extremely common. Tokoroten is one dish that the regional difference is quite extreme.
Kanto
In the Kanto region of Japan (Eastern Japan/Tokyo area), Tokoroten is a savory dish. The sauce, or nihaizu, is bright and refreshing and made with rice vinegar and soy sauce. It’s often topped with aonori (powdered dried seaweed) or kizaminori (shredded dried seaweed), sesame seeds, and karashi (Japanese mustard).
Kansai
In the Kansai region (West Japan/Kyoto and Osaka area), Tokoroten is a sweet dish. It’s often topped with kuromitsu (black sugar syrup), kinako (roasted soybean powder) and sometimes matcha.
The recipe I’m sharing today is the Kanto region (my family is from Tokyo/Yokohama).
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Tokoroten / ところてん
Ingredients
- 2 c water
- 1.5 tsp kanten (agar agar)
- sesame seeds
- kizami nori or aonori
- karashi
Nihaizu (sauce)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce usukuchi or regular
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
Instructions
- In a pot (not heated), add the kanten or agar agar.
- Add a little bit of water and mix very well. Keep adding the water little by little and mixing until the agar is completely dissolved.
- Once the agar is dissolved in the water, turn on the heat and bring to a boil, while stirring constantly.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 2 minutes, while stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and place in a flat rectangular container to cool. Refrigerate for 2 hours to solidify the jelly.
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and rice vinegar for the nihaizu (sauce).
- Once solidified, pop the jelly out of the container and cut into chunks that will fit into your tokoroten noodle press.
- Make the noodles using your press, directly pressing them into your serving bowls. If you don't have a press, you can cut the noodles by hand.
- Pour on the sauces over the noodles, add your toppings, and enjoy!
Notes
Shop this post:
Karashi (Japanese Mustard)
Kizami Nori (Shredded Dried Seaweed)
Sesame Seeds
Sakura Glass Bowl
Tokoroten Noodle Press
Agar Agar
White Gas Stove
Pink Pot Set
Rice Vinegar
Aonori (dried seaweed flakes) / 青のり
Light (Usukuchi) Soy Sauce / 薄口醤油
Soy Sauce / 醬油
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