Emerald Anniversary: 20 Years of BitterSweet

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by Hannah (BitterSweet)
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Twenty years. Two decades. I’ve already said it again and again, out loud and in my own head, and the numbers still don’t make sense. True, I was never any good at math, but I just don’t understand. How could it possibly be twenty years since BitterSweet began? I’ve been blogging longer than I haven’t, more than half of my life, a constant thread tethering me back to the world when I felt I could just as easily disappear. Looking back, I’m not entirely sure if it’s the blog that shaped my life, or my life that developed around the blog. They’re simply too deeply enmeshed, impossibly intertwined, to pick apart.

How it all started; the earliest form of BitterSweet

I never went into this with any bigger picture in mind. The only goal was to share the things I loved, and hopefully use that as a conduit to connect with more people of like minds. While the golden era of blogging is long past, as evidenced by the rarity of finding a dinosaur of a twenty year-old blog, I’d say I’ve been wildly successful in that regard. When publishers shot down my pitches, when brands turned me down for TikTokers who sing and dance, I still had this space that encouraged my creativity, supported my madness, and kept me going when the world at large told me to stop.

I’ve spent the better part of the past six months agonizing over how to commemorate such a huge milestone. The big two-oh only rolls around once, and I can’t begin to imagine if blogs will even exist another twenty years from now. Watching the date drawing ever closer, there was no idea grand enough, nor reasonably attainable, to do my beloved BitterSweet proper justice. Maybe it was time to make a mini cookbook, the Best of BitterSweet, available in print, or at least a zine? Or just an e-book? Barring that, perhaps a twenty-layer cake?

Emeralds Aren’t Forever, But Potentially Delicious

Finally, in the eleventh hour, it came to me: I was taking this entirely too seriously. The reason that I’ve been able to sustain this living archive, feeding it thrice weekly, every week, is that I just do whatever I want. I don’t do SEO properly, I don’t monetize it enough, I don’t use social media to its full potential, but you know what? That’s not what feeds my soul. I just need this to be my creative outlet, full of weird, wild, sometimes off-putting things. To that end, I strongly considered making an Emerald Salad Ring to honor the traditional 20-year anniversary gemstone, but ultimately, something sweet (and less repugnant) felt more fitting.

Edible Gems

Pandan candy emeralds, a stylized take on Japanese kohakutou, are essential shards of sweetened agar that are aged until sugar crystallizes on the outside. The interior remains soft like jelly for a crave-worthy textural contrast. Using pandan flavoring means the green color is already built in, bringing the ingredients list to a grand total of three, water and edible glitter not included. Brilliantly simple, recklessly creative, unconventionally delightful; Sounds like BitterSweet, alright.

I’m not one for grand gestures so I leave you with this, at least until the next regularly scheduled post. I’m sure as hell not stopping here. Twenty years is just another chapter in the larger story. There’s still a lot left to this story, even if no one knows how it will end, including the author.

Yield: Makes 25 - 30 Servings

Pandan Kohakutou Candy Emeralds

Pandan Kohakutou Candy Emeralds

Pandan candy emeralds, a stylized take on Japanese kohakutou, are essential shards of sweetened agar that are aged until sugar crystallizes on the outside. The interior remains soft like jelly for a crave-worthy textural contrast. Using pandan flavoring means the green color is already built in, bringing the ingredients list to a grand total of three, water and edible glitter not included.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 5 days
Total Time 5 days 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Water
  • 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 2 1/2 Teaspoons Agar Powder
  • 1/2 - 3/4 Teaspoon Pandan Flavoring
  • Edible Glitter (Optional)

Instructions

  1. Lightly grease an 8 x 8-inch square baking dish and set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the water, sugar, and agar. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  3. Pour the agar mixture into your prepared baking dish. Drizzle the pandan flavoring over the top and use a butter knife to swirl it in. Sprinkle edible glitter on top and very lightly swirl that in as well, being sure not to over-mix. You want it to remain a bit marbled.
  4. Let cool on the counter then carefully move the baking dish to the fridge to set, about 1 hour.
  5. Loosen the edges of the agar with a spatula and turn it out onto a cutting board, but don't worry if it breaks in the process. Use your hands to tear it into pieces. Carefully place them onto a dehydrator sheet or piece of parchment paper, depending on whether you want to dehydrate or air dry your candy.
  6. If dehydrating, dehydrate at 90 degrees for 10 - 14 hours, until dry to the touch. To air dry, let the candy stand in a cool, well-ventilated place for 5 - 7 days. The edges should seem lightly crystalized. The longer you let it dry, the crunchier it will become.
  7. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

30

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 49Sodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 12gSugar: 12g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: Japanese / Category: Candy

24 thoughts on “Emerald Anniversary: 20 Years of BitterSweet”

  2. congratulations! while the candy is beautiful you haven’t shared a pup picture for awhil. I do hope the l little guy is doing ok. Perhaps he can make a guest appearance soon?

    1. Aw, sorry for the lack of Luka content! I promise he’s doing well, and it’s my fault for slacking on his inclusion on the blog. I’ll try to get him back in the spotlight more often. :)

    1. Thank you! I feel so lucky to still have this space and the support to keep it going. :)

  5. The warmest huggiest congratulations and best wishes for the future! I have been following food blogs some 14-15 years by now . . . it took me awhile to find yours but I have truly enjoyed and learnt from each one. Glad you are still finding pleasure in ‘being me’ . . . it shows and makes us follow in the same vein!

    1. Thank you! I’m so grateful that the internet brought us together. The fact that you found me proves I’m still doing something right!

    1. At least there’s still a handful of us carrying the torch! Glad you’re out there fighting the good fight, too. We’re not alone. :)

    1. Hell yeah, that’s awesome! I can’t wait for you to reach the same milestone too. So happy to share the blogosphere with you. :)

  10. I don’t remember if I had discovered your blog back at the very beginning, but I do treasure it for being one of the few that stuck around throughout the majority of my own life as a vegan (since 2001!). And you’re still doing interesting innovative things! Congrats and thanks for keeping it real :)

    1. That truly means the world! I can’t imagine doing it any other way. :) Thanks for sticking around all this time!

  11. Congratulations Hannah! That is quite the achievement and it’s been a pleasure to have been with you for many of those years. So many delicious recipes, books and fun shenanigans on your blog posts. Can’t wait to try these simple pandan candies- we actually have pandan extract at home.

    1. I’m so grateful to have your support! Your comments always brighten my day and truly mean the world to me. I wouldn’t have been able to keep going without that encouragement. I’d love to hear what you think about the candies, too!

  12. Hannah, this anniversary post is such a beautiful mix of reflection, honesty, and that wonderfully quirky creativity that’s kept BitterSweet thriving for twenty years. And yes 20 years! what a milestone, Congratulations.

    1. Thank you so much! I’m honored to consider you a regular around here. It really means so much. :)

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