あんみつ
あんみつ
noun
anmitsu; Japanese dessert with red bean paste, agar jelly, and fruit
1.
anmitsu; Japanese dessert with red bean paste, agar jelly, and fruit
A traditional Japanese cold dessert consisting of cubes of agar jelly (寒天), sweet red bean paste (餡), fruit pieces, mochi balls, and a sweet syrup. Served in a bowl, typically at Japanese-style tea houses and dessert shops.
あんみつを注文した。
I ordered anmitsu.
夏はあんみつがおいしい季節だ。
Summer is the season when anmitsu is at its best.
浅草の甘味処で食べたあんみつは絶品だった。
The anmitsu I had at a sweets shop in Asakusa was exquisite.
A classic Japanese dessert combining 寒天 (agar jelly) cubes, 餡 (sweet red bean paste), fruit, 求肥 (soft mochi), and 黒蜜 (brown sugar syrup) or other sweet syrups. The name comes from 餡 (bean paste) + 蜜 (syrup/honey).
VARIATIONS:
- クリームあんみつ: anmitsu topped with ice cream or whipped cream
- 白玉あんみつ: anmitsu with shiratama dango (rice flour dumplings)
- 抹茶あんみつ: anmitsu with matcha-flavored elements
CULTURAL NOTE:
Anmitsu is a quintessential summer dessert in Japan, strongly associated with 甘味処 (traditional Japanese sweets shops). It originated in the early 20th century as a variation of みつ豆 (mitsumame), which is the same dessert without the bean paste.
RELATED TERMS:
- みつ豆: similar dessert without red bean paste
- 甘味処: traditional Japanese sweets shop