Tokoroten

Tokoroten (心太, ところてん) is a gelatinous dish in Japanese cuisine, made from agarophyte seaweed. It was traditionally made by boiling tengusa (Gelidium amansii) and allowing the mixture to congeal into a jelly.^[1] The jelly is then pressed through an extruding device and shaped into noodles. Unlike gelatin desserts, tokoroten has a firmer texture.^{[citation needed]}

Tokoroten

Tokoroten with soy sauce
Type	Wagashi
Course	Side dish, dessert
Place of origin	Japan
Serving temperature	Hot, cold
Main ingredients	Seaweed (tengusa, ogonori)
Media: Tokoroten

Tokoroten can be eaten hot (in solution) or cold (as a gel).^[2] Flavorings and garnishes can vary from region to region. In the present day, it is common to eat it with a mixture of vinegar and soy sauce,^[3] and sometimes nori,^[4] hot pepper, or sesame. In the Kansai region, tokoroten is eaten as a dessert with kuromitsu syrup.^[5]

History

Tokoroten is made by extruding seaweed jelly through holes to form strips.

Tokoroten has been eaten in Japan for over a thousand years.^[1] It is thought to have been introduced to Japan from China during the Nara period.^[6]

During the Edo period, it was popular during the summer as a snack.^[6] It was originally made to be eaten immediately and was commonly sold around factories.^[2] In the 17th century, it was discovered that freezing tokoroten would result in a stable and dry product known as kanten (agar).^[2][1] While tokoroten can be made from kanten based on seaweeds such as tengusa (Gelidiaceae) and ogonori (Gracilaria), today, commercially produced kanten is mostly made from ogonori.^[6]

Gallery

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  With shiruko and isobe-maki
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  With matcha ice cream, azuki bean paste, and dango