The longer we're safely cooped up inside, the more time we're spending playing "What experimental concoctions can I make in the kitchen: Quarantine Edition." First up, there's the viral Dalonia coffee, also known as whipped coffee, which you've probably seen on TikTok, Instagram, and on your counter at home. Now, this crispy Japanese caramel puff (also known as karumeyaki) is taking over TikTok, giving us another way to waste 20 minutes of our day while trying not to burn down our house. If you want to learn how to make karumeyaki, join this journey of melting sugar and patience.
Light roasting goes by a few different names. It roughly translates from Japanese to English as "roasted caramel". Some people call it Japanese meringue due to its light and airy texture. It is similar to honeycomb toffee or sponge candy and looks like a crunchy, airy piece of toffee. However, Karumeyaki is most commonly prepared in a ladle, giving it the appearance of a fluffy cookie rising in a spoonful of bowl, adding to the overall rugged feel.
There are a few different tutorials online showing how to make karumeyaki. The most recent one comes from @mjoann69 on TikTok. (A different TikTok than karumeyaki's @mjoann69 has nearly 750,000 views.) The Korean cooking channel ddulgi on YouTube also has a six-and-a-half-minute video from 2019 on how to make cookie candies. In 2017, there was even a blog post on ThriftyFun sharing a recipe for karumeyaki, claiming the dessert was over 400 years old. While we're busy making sourdough starter, give 1600 Seconds a try.
This is the material needed to make Karumeyaki. To see the exact ratio, check out @mjoann69’s helpful TikTok:
- water
- granulated sugar
- an egg white
- baking soda
- Microwave safe cup
- Stir with chopsticks
- very patient
Start by whisking the egg whites and baking soda together. Once the mixture is fluffy and thick enough to stick to chopsticks, set it aside. Then, in a microwave-safe cup, mix the sugar and water together and microwave for one to two minutes. You should see large caramel-like bubbles in the cup. Finally, use chopsticks to pick up some of the egg and baking soda mixture and mix it with the hot sugar water. You should see the mixture thicken, thin, and then thicken again. Once it turns pale white, stop stirring, remove the chopsticks and watch the mixture rise. It squirts out like edible elephant toothpaste. (If you don't see it start to rise immediately, try blending some more.)
Finally, you can remove the karumiyaki from the cup (or spoon, if you're traditional) and enjoy! It may break when you remove it. It doesn't matter. Practice makes perfect, and it still tastes delicious, like a caramel meringue cookie. If nothing else, watching the mixture magically rise will be a welcome pastime.
