From Castle in the Sky to dessert plates at home.
Recently, we spent a day in the kitchen. Studio Ghibli Official Cookbook “Laputa: Castle in the Sky”.The Tiger Moth crew stew and the chunks of ham that Dora ate were very delicious, but there are still many recipes inside Ghibli’s Dining Table Children’s Cooking Picture Book ~Laputa: Castle in the Sky~ (Use the full title of the book) And one of the most beautiful things is: leviston amber sugar Candy.
Japanese confectionery artisans have been making Kohakuto (literally meaning “amber sugar”) since the Edo period (1603-1867). Although it looks similar to rock candy popular in the West, amber sugar has a crunchy texture on the outside and a soft, gelatin-like interior. This combination of mystical physical properties makes it a suitable stand-in for the magical mineral Levistone in the pendant. Laputa’s Sita, the female leader.
This cookbook is divided into two sections: one that recreates the dishes featured in the anime, and the other that contains original recipes inspired by the anime. Levistone Amber Sugar is in the second section, and while Theta’s Pendant was a rare and highly coveted artifact, Levistone Candy is very easily acquired, as the book’s publisher shares in the preview. You can make it.
material
● Granulated sugar (250g/8.8oz)
●Agar powder (5g/0.2oz)
●Blue Hawaii shaved ice syrup (2 tablespoons)
● Water (250ml/8.5oz)
● Step 1
Add water and powdered agar (called powdered agar in Japan) to a pot and bring to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add granulated sugar and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes while stirring.
● Step 2
Add the Blue Hawaii Shaved Ice Syrup to the pot, stir, and turn off the heat.
● Step 3
Transfer the mixture to a tray or container on the other side. Once it has cooled to room temperature, place it in the refrigerator to chill and harden. Unfortunately, the book doesn’t say how long it takes, but various other amber sugar recipes indicate times ranging from two hours to half a day. But thankfully, there’s no risk of over-chilling the mixture by leaving it in the fridge for too long, so keep an eye on it and if it’s still soft, come back in an hour or two and check again.
● Step 4
Once the mixture has set, remove it from the refrigerator and use a cookie cutter or knife to cut into teardrop shapes like Sita’s pendants.
● Step 5
Now comes the most difficult part., not in terms of the calculation of complex dishes of fine motor skills, but in terms of psychological difficulty. The final step in making amber sugar is to place it on the grill or rack to dry at room temperature. This takes a long time, and the recipe recommends drying it thoroughly for a week, but the reward for your willpower in resisting the urge to eat it before it’s ready is the perfect traditional food. It’s about being able to enjoy a beautiful and sweet snack that has a lot of flavor.
Oh, and if you’re wondering what this “Blue Hawaii” syrup is all about, it’s something that Japan itself has a hard time explaining exactly. It’s like an apple and citrus mix, but even if you can’t find it at your local grocery store, you could theoretically get similar results to Levi Stone by using blue shaved ice syrup. It should be possible.
Ghibli’s Dining Table Children’s Cooking Picture Book ~Laputa: Castle in the Sky~ The price is 1,760 yen (12 USD) and you can order it on Amazon Japan. here.
sauce: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert image: PR Times, Studio Ghibli (1, 2)
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