I can say with certainty that I love Japanese sweets. This includes both ‘Western’ and traditional types, such as cakes or pastries and wagashi (和菓子). One that I had the pleasure of both trying and making is kuri kinton (栗きんとん), a confectionery made up of mashed sweet potatoes and candied chestnuts.
Kuri kinton is one of many o’sechi ryori (おせち料理) dishes, foods to be eaten during New Years in Japan (お正月). Like other o’sechi, it has a symbolic meaning: for wealth and fortune. The dish is sweet, without being overly so, and creamy. The best part is that it’s packed full of vitamin A, C, and fiber.
boiling sweet potatoes with Jasmine seeds
Kuri means chestnut, while kinton is mashed sweet potatoes (though regular sweet potatoes are called satsumaimo, サツマイモ). But ‘kin’ can also be written as gold (金), referring to the vibrant yellow color of this dish. Traditionally, to get this hue, the potatoes are dyed with kuchinashi no mi (梔子の実), crushed cape jasmine or gardenia flower seeds.
mashing sweet potatoes through strainer
After boiling, rather than crushing the potatoes with a standard potato masher, they’re passed through a fine mesh strainer. This part takes the most time and requires a bit of perseverance, as you want to make sure it gets really smooth.
But once you finish, you’ll end up with fine sweet potato fibers, which look a bit like extra golden panko flakes from a distance.
fine sweet potato flakes
At this point, it’s time to add some seasoning. We normally add the syrup that the candied chestnuts come in, plus a few teaspoons more of white sugar. The mixture is cooked on low heat until it comes together.
mix in the chestnut syrup
All there’s left to do is add the chestnuts, mix, and serve. You can keep kuri kinton for up to 5 days in the fridge. But because this sweet treat is so tasty, I doubt they’ll last that long!
kuri kinton
Kuri Kinton (栗きんとん)
Servings: 7-10 Total prep & cooking time: 25 minutes
- 2-3 Japanese sweet potatoes*
- 1 jar of Kuri no kanroni (栗の甘露煮) – candied chestnuts in syrup, i.e. marron glace
- 1 tea bag size of kuchinashi no mi, i.e. gardenia powder (optional, for coloring)
- 2 t. white sugar (optional, for extra sweetness)
*Note: Japanese sweet potatoes often come in different grades of sweetness and fiber density. If possible, look for “gold” (金時) or “red azuma” (紅あずま), which are sweeter and will produce the smoothest mash.
- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Place in a cooking pot and fill with enough water to cover.
- Add one bag of kuchinashi no mi (if using), then boil the potatoes on medium heat for 10 minutes or until a toothpick pierces through easily.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Carefully transfer one piece of cooked sweet potato at a time. Mash through the sieve using a wooden spatula or back of a spoon.
- Continue mashing until all the potatoes are finished. Then, transfer to a nonstick cooking pan.
- Add the syrup from the candied chestnuts and mix into the potato fibers. Cook on low heat until it forms a thick paste and becomes less glossy, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat, then add the chestnuts. Gently stir them into the sweet potato paste. Transfer the finished kuri kinton to a storage container. Scoop out a portion when serving.
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-Waifu ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
Because I'm Waifu 