is a dish in

Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and other ...

made from

agarophyte An agarophyte is a seaweed, typically a red alga, that produces the hydrocolloid agar in its cell walls. This agar can be harvested commercially for use in biological experiments and culturing. In some countries (especially in the developing wo ...

s. Tokoroten has been eaten by the Japanese for over a thousand years. Tokoroten is thought to have been introduced to Japan from China during the

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the cap ...

. Tokoroten was traditionally made by boiling ''tengusa'' (''

Gelidium amansii ''Gelidium amansii'', also known as ''umutgasari'', is an economically important species of red algae commonly found and harvested in the shallow coast (3 to 10 m or 10 to 33 ft of depth below the water) of many East Asian countries includin ...

'') and then allowing the mixture to congeal into a jelly. Tokoroten was a popular snack during the summertime in Edo (Tokyo) during the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

. It was originally made to be eaten immediately and was commonly sold around factories. In the 17th century, it was discovered that freezing tokoroten would result in a stable and dry product known as ''kanten'' (

agar Agar ( or ), or agar-agar, is a jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from ogonori (''Gracilaria'') and "tengusa" (''Gelidiaceae''). As found in nature, agar is ...

). While tokoroten can be made from ''kanten'' based on

seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...

s such as ''tengusa'' (''

Gelidiaceae The Gelidiaceae is a small family of red algae containing eight genera. Many species of this algae are used to make agar. Uses Agar can be derived from many types of red seaweeds, including those from families such as ''Gelidiaceaae'', ''Gracila ...

'') and ''

ogonori ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' (''

Gracilaria ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

''), today commercially produced ''kanten'' is mostly made from ''ogonori''. Pressed against a device, the jelly is shaped into noodles. Unlike

gelatin dessert Gelatin desserts (also Jelly or Jello) are desserts made with a sweetened and flavoured processed collagen product ( gelatin). This kind of dessert was first recorded as jelly by Hannah Glasse in her 18th-century book '' The Art of Cookery'' ...

s, tokoroten has a firmer texture. Tokoroten was and can be eaten hot (in solution) or cold (as a gel). Flavorings and garnishes can vary from region to region. Today, it is the most common to eat tokoroten with a mixture of vinegar and soy sauce, and sometimes

nori Nori is a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine, made from species of the red algae genus ''Pyropia'', including ''P. yezonesis'' and '' P. tenera''. It has a strong and distinctive flavor, and is often used to wrap rolls of sushi or '' ...

, hot pepper, or sesame. In

Kansai region The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropolita ...

, tokoroten is eaten as a dessert with

kuromitsu is a Japanese sugar syrup. It is similar to molasses, but thinner and milder. It is typically made from unrefined (muscovado sugar), and is a central ingredient in many Japanese sweets. It is one of the ingredients used in making , and is eate ...

Citations

References

* * * * * * Wagashi Japanese snack food Japanese noodles {{Japan-cuisine-stub