[Snack Activity] Easy and Delicious: Snack Ideas to Make Together with Seniors
The time it takes to chill and set yokan in the refrigerator, the moment you add toppings like fruit, the aroma of steam rising from the steamer.
Making snacks together with older adults lets you share a sense of excitement and create warm memories that go beyond the recipe itself.
Traditional Japanese sweets are familiar to many seniors and are sure to delight them.
There are plenty of ways to enjoy everything while staying seated! When the sweet scent of the finished wagashi fills the room, it will surely bring back fond memories as well.
As hands stay busy, conversation flows, and the joy of savoring the finished treat is truly special.
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Seasonal Wagashi Recipes (1–10)
Strawberry Awayuki Jelly

Awayuki-kan, a fluffy agar jelly that fizzes and melts away in your mouth.
How about making strawberry awayuki-kan for a snack activity? It’s easy for seniors to enjoy safely, too.
Remove the strawberry stems and cut to your preferred size.
Next, place egg whites and sugar in a bowl and whisk to make meringue.
In a saucepan, add powdered agar, water, and sugar, then simmer to dissolve; remove from the heat and pour the agar mixture into the meringue.
Gently fold in the cut strawberries, spoon into cups, and chill in the refrigerator until set.
Dividing up each step among participants will help the process go smoothly.
It’s a dish that lets everyone enjoy a pleasantly fizzy, airy texture.
Sakuramochi Making

Let’s try making sakuramochi, an essential treat for the Peach Blossom Festival (Hinamatsuri).
When you think of sakuramochi, you picture that gentle pink Japanese sweet.
Color glutinous rice with a little red food coloring and cook it; once it’s done, knead it and shape it into balls.
Wrap sweet red bean paste (anko) with the rice, then top with desalted cherry blossoms or leaves to finish.
Using a rice cooker instead of a steamer makes it easy.
There’s also another type of sakuramochi made by grilling a pink wheat-flour batter and wrapping it around anko—this is called Chomeiji sakuramochi.
It also seems like something fun to make together with older adults.
Enjoy a lovely time with sakuramochi—both the process and the delicious results.
mizumanju (a Japanese chilled translucent rice flour dumpling, often with sweet bean paste)

How about making mizumanju together with seniors? Kudzu starch is very expensive, so this recipe uses potato starch instead.
Potato starch is easier to find, right? In a shallow pot, combine water, sugar, and potato starch, dissolve well, then heat.
Cook thoroughly, and when it becomes thick and sticky, turn off the heat.
Spoon some into small heatproof containers, add a layer of sweet boiled red beans (yude-azuki) on top, then pour in more of the mixture.
Chill until set, and it’s ready.
Since we’re using canned yude-azuki, it’s very easy.
Seasonal Wagashi Recipes (11–20)
Jiggly milk yokan

Here’s how to make jiggly milk yokan, a dessert that looks and feels refreshing.
Prepare agar, sweet red bean paste (anko), water, sugar, skim milk, lukewarm water, and a tray or pan to mold it in.
In a bowl, combine the agar, sugar, skim milk, and lukewarm water and mix well.
Meanwhile, put the anko in a pot and dissolve it with water.
Pour the mixture you just combined into the pot with the anko, heat it, and stir carefully so it doesn’t come to a boil, then pour it into the tray.
Chill in the refrigerator until set, and it’s ready.
This jiggly milk yokan is also recommended when you don’t have much appetite—give it a try!
warabi mochi

Warabi-mochi is usually finished with warabi starch, but here’s a method that uses potato starch instead.
Mix potato starch and sugar, add water, and microwave it.
After heating for about 30 seconds, take it out, stir with a spoon, and microwave again.
Repeat this process and—like magic—you’ll end up with delightfully chewy warabi-mochi.
Enjoy with kuromitsu (black sugar syrup) or kinako (roasted soybean flour) if you like.
It’s great because you don’t need a stovetop.
This translucent Japanese sweet is a perfect fit for summer!
Koinobori Castella

Here’s a dessert idea: carp-shaped koinobori made with castella cake.
Store-bought castella is usually rectangular.
Slice the rectangle into narrower pieces, then cut one end into a triangle to create a koinobori shape.
Use your favorite fruits to make the scales, and add facial features with jam or a chocolate pen.
It’s easy to make, so bringing a homemade dessert along for a walk with an elderly person is also recommended.
With a delicious treat and pleasant conversation, you’re sure to enjoy a lovely spring day.
sakura yokan (cherry blossom sweet bean jelly)

Yokan is a traditional Japanese confection with a long history, offering a distinctly Japanese ambiance.
It’s known for being made by pouring sweet bean paste into a mold and setting it with agar.
By using cherry blossoms and leaves, you can create a dessert that captures the unique feeling of spring.
First, soak salted cherry blossoms and leaves in water, then pat them dry and mince them finely.
Next, mix heated water, sugar, and white bean paste, and warm the mixture in a microwave.
Add the cherry blossoms and leaves, pour into a mold, then add the agar mixture.
Finally, chill in the refrigerator until it cools and sets.
Because it doesn’t require a pot or stovetop, this is a safe and approachable confection to try, even for older adults.



