Anmitsu facts for kids
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| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Japan |
| Main ingredients | Red algae or seaweed, water or fruit juice |
| Variations | Mitsumame, cream anmitsu |
Anmitsu (あんみつ) is a yummy Japanese dessert that became popular a long time ago, during Japan's Meiji era. It's a colorful and refreshing treat!
Anmitsu is made with small, clear cubes of jelly called agar. This special jelly comes from a type of red seaweed. To make the agar jelly, the seaweed is mixed with water or even fruit juice, like apple juice.
This dessert is served in a bowl with lots of tasty toppings. You'll find sweet azuki bean paste, called anko. This is where the an in Anmitsu comes from! There are also soft, boiled peas and sometimes gyūhi, which are like chewy rice cakes. Plus, it's topped with different fruits like peach slices, mikan (a type of orange), pieces of pineapples, and bright red cherries.
A small pot of sweet black syrup, called mitsu, usually comes with your dessert. The mitsu is the second part of the name Anmitsu! You pour this yummy syrup over everything before you start eating. People usually enjoy Anmitsu with both a spoon and a fork.
Fun Variations of Anmitsu
There are a few fun ways to enjoy Anmitsu!
Mitsumame
Mitsumame is a lot like Anmitsu, but it doesn't have the sweet bean paste. The word mame means peas, which are still included along with the syrup and agar jelly.
Cream Anmitsu
If you love ice cream, you might enjoy Cream Anmitsu. This version has a scoop of ice cream on top of all the usual Anmitsu ingredients. Sometimes, people also add shiratama dango, which are soft, chewy rice flour dumplings.
See also
In Spanish: Anmitsu para niños
