The Japanese are a people who love everything original. And in order to shock others, their imagination does not stop at nothing. An unusual combination of colors, tastes, smells, bizarre forms - all this is intended to amaze. But at the same time, these items surprise with their high functionality. Minimalism and anime from mass culture penetrated into the sphere of the food industry. Japanese ice cream is a clear proof of this. Just tamp the ice cream waffle cup - it is so trite! Put a block of ice cream on a stick? Also not new. But pack it into something that looks like a condom, quite in the spirit of the Japanese. The more original the product, the easier it is for sale. And fantasy works not only in the direction of packaging, but also in taste. Only in Japan can you taste ice cream with the taste of beef tongue, charcoal and raw horse meat. But in this article we will talk about the sweet varieties of Aisukrimu. We will also give you a recipe so you can enjoy Japanese ice cream at home.
Dessert story
Already in the second millennium BC, dessert was spread in China, which was prepared from thoroughly ground snow, juice and fruit. This prototype of modern ice cream quickly became known in the Japanese islands. Tradition-worshipers still prefer fruit ice to the type prepared using cream and eggs. And European ice cream entered the Land of the Rising Sun only in 1878. The meager selection of tastes did not like the Japanese. They found that creme brulee, chocolate and fruit and berry variations do not satisfy the needs of gourmets. Therefore, Japanese ice cream appeared very quickly with the taste (and, of course, slices) of fish, seafood and even jellyfish. The northern part of Hokkaido was famous for its blue-and-black dessert with cuttlefish ink, and the city of Gayoya - aisukrimu with the taste of baked chicken wings. Every year, manufacturers experiment with extraordinary fillers: wasabi, cactus, python, shark fin, scrambled eggs, beer and even ammonia. At the same time, manufacturers report that they do not use taste substitutes. If the ice cream is with python, snake slices will definitely be there.
Innovation and tradition
The Japanese are a very controversial people. Craving for everything new and unusual and deep respect for cultural traditions coexist in their heart. Sooner or later, and Japanese ice cream in rice dough should have appeared. The urine (or mochi) dessert was already known in the eighth century. This sweet was traditionally prepared for the New Year. The dough was made from special rice with a high content of gluten. The grains were soaked overnight, then steamed. Then the porridge was kneaded for a long time by two workers: one operated with a wooden hammer, and the second moistened the mass so that it would not dry out. From the resulting test, figures were formed that were cooked or grilled. They were filled with different fillings. A sharp Japanese thought came to the conclusion that a ball of ice cream could also become such a filler.
Ice Cream Tea Ceremony
It should be noted and the reverent attitude of the Japanese to traditional drinks. Green tea is very respected in this country. So much so that they use it not only for drinking. It was only necessary to exert a little imagination in order for Japanese ice cream “yukimi” to appear. It looks more like a very chilled sorbet. Served in "yukiyami" small portions. The delicate taste of cold green tea is very refreshing. Matcha variety is used for this dessert. This tea is very popular in Japan, so you can buy it at any supermarket. In order to cook "yukimi", you need to stock up with six chicken eggs, a glass of fat (33%) cream and one hundred grams of powdered sugar.
Tea Japanese ice cream: recipe with lemon juice
First you need to cool the eggs well and make strong green tea. Separate the whites from the yolks. Cool the tea and filter through a strainer, filling the glass by one third. Whisk the whites with 50 grams of icing sugar into a thick, shiny foam. Mash the yolks with the second half of the sweetener. Add tea to them and a teaspoon of lemon juice and soy sauce. Combine the protein and yolk masses, whisk again. In a separate bowl with a mixer, we bring the cream to a state of thick foam. Mix them with the rest of the ingredients. Stir so that the mass does not fall. Put in the form and put in the freezer for two hours. The product will not come out completely green. Therefore, for aesthetic pleasure, you can add food coloring. Yukimi ice cream can be prepared both classic - Matcha (eggs, cream and icing sugar) - and with various toppings. It is important that they are not too sharp, otherwise they will overshadow the delicate taste of green tea. Suitable: citrus fruits, cinnamon, pistachio, etc.
Mochi japanese ice cream dough recipe
Having become acquainted with the old technology for preparing a urine test, it seems that it cannot be repeated at home. Fortunately, we do not need a hefty man who will tirelessly knead porridge with a wooden hammer for two hours without sticking. We just need to get rice flour with high stickiness. In three tablespoons of this ingredient, add 4 tbsp. l sugar and 5 tbsp. l water. Stir until a homogeneous stretching mass. Cover it with a damp cloth and put in the microwave for two minutes. Add another spoonful of water to the mass. Cover again and put in the microwave for exactly a minute. Now comes the most difficult part of the culinary process. The classic urine dessert is a cake. The dough for it is perfectly molded in a hot and warm state. And when it cools down, then, like a waffle, it loses elasticity. If we make a cake, this fact does not matter. We put the filling in the hot dough and form the product. But what if we want to make Japanese rice ice cream?
Modeling
Corn starch comes to the rescue. It will be a good heat insulator between dough and ice cream. We wrap the board with cling film. Sprinkle the surface with corn starch. We quickly roll out the urine dough - the thinner the better. Sprinkle it with corn starch. Small circles are cut out of the dough from the dough. With a special spoon, we collect a ball of ice cream. It can be any, to your taste. You can also use Japanese ice cream made from green tea. Put the ball in the middle of the cake. We select the edges and wrap. If we use “yukimi” from the match for the filling, then we will pour a little tea powder into the bowl. Dip the products in it and shake off the excess. Roll the balls in icing sugar and send them to the freezer.