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Rakugan (pressed dry sweets for tea)
Melt-in-the-mouth pressed sugar and rice flour shapes
Rakugan are higashi, the dry sweets served before thin matcha at a tea ceremony, and the castle towns of Kanazawa and Matsue, both with a long tea tradition, are famous for them. Fine sugar and roasted rice flour are pressed into carved wooden moulds to make cherry blossoms in spring, maple leaves in autumn and plum flowers in winter; they also appear on Obon altars as offerings. They feel firm in the hand but dissolve on the tongue into a delicate, clean sweetness, which balances the bitterness of the tea. Serve two or three per person with matcha or sencha. They are naturally egg-free: a few drops of water make the fine sugar just damp enough to stick, the roasted rice flour holds the shape, and drying sets it hard. Chef's tip: add water a few drops at a time and stop when the sugar feels like damp sand; the common mistake is too much water, which glues the mixture into the mould.
- Total time
- 200 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 3 ½ oz wasanbon sugaror caster sugar blitzed to a fine powder
- 2 tsp water
- ¼ tsp matcha powder (optional)for green shapes
- 1 tbsp potato starchfor dusting the mould
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Sift 3 ½ oz wasanbon sugar into a bowl. Sprinkle over 2 tsp water a few drops at a time, rubbing the sugar between your palms, until it feels like damp sand and holds together when squeezed.
Step 2: Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave for 30 minutes so the moisture spreads evenly.
30 minStep 3: Add 1 ⅜ oz roasted glutinous rice flour (mijinko) and rub it in with your fingertips, then push everything through a fine sieve so it is light and even. Work ¼ tsp matcha powder into half if you like.
Step 4: Dust a wooden or silicone sweet mould with 1 tbsp potato starch and tap out the excess.
Step 5: Pack the mixture firmly into the mould, pressing hard with your thumb, then scrape the top level with a knife.
Step 6: Tap the mould sharply on the worktop to release each sweet onto a tray lined with paper. If a shape crumbles, the mixture is too dry; add a drop more water.
Step 7: Leave uncovered in a dry place for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight, until hard right through. Store airtight for up to a month.
120 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 68 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 17 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rakugan (pressed dry sweets for tea) take?
- About 200 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of wasanbon sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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