Photo/Illutration Water-based agar jelly (Photo by Atsuko Shimamura)

Editor’s note: In the Taste of Life series, cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.

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Ai Hosokawa, who grew up in Tokyo, has lived in Kumamoto for 14 years and is fascinated by its rich natural environment and clear water. Her house and atelier stand in the historical remains of Taishoji temple that used to be the family temple of the Hosokawa Clan, which once ruled the Kumamoto Domain.

She says her lush garden offers a variety of blessings each season. The flavor of the citrus is enhanced as it gets colder. Hosokawa’s garden contains citrus trees, such as “hassaku,” kumquat, navel orange and “yuzu,” most of which she planted as seedlings.

She flew to Italy after graduating from university and began her stay by living with a family who baked bread in a wood-fired oven, grew fruits and vegetables and raised livestock. The wine and daily food ingredients were also mostly homemade. Although the daily meals were quite simple, the family had a good life as they made pasta or enjoyed the fish caught by the father on weekends.

Hosokawa went on to live in different places and learned cooking from many families. She had a memorable stay in Sicily.

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Ai Hosokawa (Photo by Atsuko Shimamura)

“Many citrus trees grew in the family’s garden, and the mother would pick oranges first thing in the morning and squeeze them by hand to get juice,” Hosokawa says. “Having breakfast with bright red orange juice, homemade cake, jam, bread and butter was genuinely a happy moment for me. It instilled in me the wish to plant many fruit trees at home someday.”

Her wish came true in Kumamoto. Every fall, when the trees start to become heavy with the citrus fruits, she walks around the garden wondering what to cook that day.

This week’s water-based agar jelly is a dessert that make the most of Kumamoto’s clear water.

It is composed of “iced persimmon” made by freezing sweet persimmon that has fully ripened on the tree, water-based agar jelly set at the most possible softness, and citrus syrup with a hint of bitterness.

“This time, I chose the ‘kabosu’ citrus. The aroma stands out more if you take the chance and use just one kind of citrus,” she says.

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Ai Hosokawa is a cooking expert born in Okayama Prefecture in 1972. After graduating from university, she went to Italy where she studied cooking. She moved to Kumamoto city in 2009 and, among other activities, offers cooking classes at the historical remains of Taishoji temple.

BASIC COOKING METHOD

Main Ingredients (Amount easy to make)

Water-based agar jelly for about six servings (2.5 grams dried strips of agar (“ito-kanten”), 500 ml water, 15 grams granulated sugar), citrus syrup (made from citrus of your choice and the same amount of rock sugar (“kori-zato”)), 2 medium-sized persimmons

1. To make citrus syrup, finely slice citrus and place in jar alternately with rock sugar and leave for about a week until sugar is dissolved.

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Make citrus syrup. (Photo by Atsuko Shimamura)

2. Cut strips of agar into short pieces and immerse in generous amount of water overnight.

3. Drain agar strips, place in pot, add water and sugar and place on medium heat. When it comes to a boil, simmer on low heat for about 2 minutes while mixing. Strain agar liquid through sieve covered with layers of wet thin bleached cloth (“sarashi”) and pour in square mold. When jelly has cooled down, place in fridge so it sets.

4. To make iced persimmon, choose fruits that have ripened fully until somewhat transparent. Peel and freeze.

5. Lay finely sliced iced persimmon in dish. Top with a square of agar jelly and pour citrus syrup over them.

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Lay thin slices of iced persimmon in dish. (Photo by Atsuko Shimamura)

The citrus syrup may also be enjoyed with marinated fruit, yogurt or in tea.

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From The Asahi Shimbun’s Jinsei Reshipi (Life Recipe) column

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