Ujikintoki (宇治金時)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Kakigōri shaved-ice machine, hand-cranked or electric
• •Small saucepan
• •Matcha whisk (chasen), or a small balloon whisk
• •Fine-mesh sieve for matcha
• •Chilled serving bowls

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the azuki

   Rinse the azuki, cover with plenty of water, and bring to a boil. Boil five minutes, then drain. This first boil removes harshness from the skins, so the finished beans taste clean, not muddy. Return the beans to the pot with 3 cups fresh water and simmer gently until tender, about 50 to 60 minutes, adding water if the beans peek above the surface.

2. 2

   Sweeten the beans

   When the azuki are tender enough to crush between your fingers, stir in 1/3 cup sugar and the salt. Simmer 10 minutes more, then cool in the syrup. Sugar tightens beans if it goes in too early, so let tenderness come first and sweetness second.

   Keep some beans whole. Ujikintoki wants sweet azuki with texture, not a smooth paste hiding at the bottom.
3. 3

   Make matcha syrup

   Sift the matcha into a bowl. Whisk in the hot water a little at a time until smooth and deep green. In a small pan, warm 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar just until dissolved, then whisk it into the matcha. Sifting and blooming the tea first keeps the syrup smooth, because matcha clumps the moment it meets too much liquid at once.

4. 4

   Chill everything

   Chill the azuki, matcha syrup, serving bowls, and ice-shaver parts if your machine allows it. Cold tools keep the shaved ice light for a few precious minutes. This dish is simple, but it is not patient.

5. 5

   Build the bowl

   Spoon a little azuki into the bottom of each chilled bowl. Shave ice over it in a high, loose mound, then tuck more azuki into one side or the center. Do not press the ice down. Pressing makes it dense, and dense ice drinks syrup badly.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Pour matcha syrup over the top in a slow circle so it stains the ridges of the ice. Add shiratama dango or a little condensed milk only if you want that common shop style, and serve at once. The matcha should taste brisk and slightly bitter against the sweet beans. That balance is the whole dish.

Chef Tips

• •Use good matcha, not sweetened green-tea powder. The tea is the first voice you hear, so it should be clean, bitter, and fragrant.
• •A proper kakigōri machine gives the finest texture. If your home shaver uses cubes, freeze clear, fresh-tasting water and keep the cubes very cold before shaving.
• •Prepared sweet azuki is a sensible stand-in when time is short. Choose one where beans still show and the sweetness doesn't flatten everything.
• •Do not build Ujikintoki early. Make the parts ahead, then assemble at the table or just before serving.

Advance Preparation

• •The sweet azuki can be made up to three days ahead and kept refrigerated in its syrup.
• •The matcha syrup keeps two days refrigerated. Whisk before using, because fine tea particles settle.
• •Freeze the ice blocks or cubes the day before so they are fully hard and shave cleanly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 360g)