Edamame, which are immature soybeans, are often consumed as a delicious snack or as another component in a savory meal. This can include something simple like a side dish, a stir-fry or noodle dish, or something a little more unique, such as edamame toast. But did you know that edamame could also be a dessert like the edamame maple purin recipe we’re introducing below?
It’s true — edamame is often used for sweets in Japan, and if you are familiar with mochi, you know that it comes in a variety of styles and flavors. One type of mochi that utilizes edamame as its main component is Zunda.
What Is Zunda?
Zunda is a green paste made from sweetened ground edamame. Think of it as a vibrant green peanut butter. In the northeast region of Japan, zunda-mochi is a specialty dessert. However, people throughout the rest of the country enjoy it as well. The mochi dish is rather simple to make, but very tasty and refreshing — it consists of the mist and chewy rice cake (mochi) in a bowl, with a generous portion of zunda spread across the top.
Zunda-mochi is often served in tea shops in Japan, or with a salty and savory side dish to complement the sweet flavors. In Japan, you can also find zunda ice cream, zunda bread, cakes made with zunda, zunda cookies, pancakes and many other zunda-flavored treats! It’s an extremely popular flavor, and you can probably find several zunda-flavored snacks at any Asian supermarket.
The subtle sweetness lends itself well to all of these applications, and it contains fewer calories than other sugary desserts and treats, making it a great choice for those craving sweets while trying to eat healthier.
What Is Purin?
Purin is a Japanese version of a creamy caramel dessert that requires no baking. You may have seen similar types of this dessert before, but probably not with edamame! The custard pudding often comes in various flavors you would be more familiar with, such as strawberry or chocolate. Edamame paired with maple is a delectable flavor combination you must try.
You can easily make your own edamame maple purin at home. It’s a great dish to serve at a Japanese dinner party, but you can certainly enjoy it any time you wish! Edamame paste is very simple to make, and you can try it in several other dishes as well. Pancakes are particularly tasty, as is zunda bread.
