Hello, I’m Tohoku Zunko!

July and August are the best season for edamame.

Zunda paste made with edamame from this time of year has a color and aroma that are in a class of their own. It’s completely different from the store-bought kind.

Today, I’m going back to basics and will teach you how to make serious zunda paste right from the start.

Once you master this, zunda mochi, shakes, and toast will all be yours to enjoy! 💚

📅 The Edamame Season is Longer Than You Think

First, something that might surprise you.

Edamame is available for quite a long time, from around May to October.

But the peak season, when the flavor is at its best, is from July to August.

To be more specific, the timing varies by variety.

• Aomame (standard green edamame)… Around July-August
• Chame (strong aroma and sweet)… Around August-September

So, you can make zunda with aomame in July, and then make it again with chame starting at the end of August.

This way, you can enjoy two different flavors in the same summer. Isn’t that a treat?

And one more thing.

According to JA-ZENOH, the top three prefectures for edamame cultivation area are Niigata, Yamagata, and Akita.

…Have you noticed? Two of the three are in Tohoku.

Tohoku is, without a doubt, the kingdom of edamame.

It’s only natural that a dish like zunda was born and raised in this region. 💚

🌱 It All Starts with Choosing Your Edamame

Delicious zunda is half-decided at the moment you buy it. Look for these things at the store.

• Pods that are plump, with the shape of the beans clearly visible.
• Pods with thick, white fuzz (a sign of freshness).
• Pods that are a deep green and not yellowish.
• If they’re still on the branch, look for pods that are densely packed.

Conversely, flat pods mean the beans aren’t fully grown. They’ll make the paste watery.

And most importantly: Edamame starts losing its sweetness the moment it’s harvested.

The biggest tip is to boil them the same day you buy them.

🍡 Ingredients (Makes about 300g of Zunda Paste)

I recommend starting with a more conservative 60g of sugar. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out.

👩‍🍳 How to Make It

1. Rub with salt. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of salt over the pods and rub them vigorously between your hands. This removes the fuzz and helps the salt penetrate.
2. Boil in plenty of water. Add them to boiling water for 3-5 minutes. The time will vary depending on the size of the pods, so taste one to check.
3. Immediately drain in a colander and cool. Don’t rinse them with water! They’ll get watery and lose their flavor. The trick is to cool them down quickly with a fan.
4. Remove from pods and peel the thin inner skins. This is the step that separates good zunda from serious zunda. It’s tedious, but it’s the most important part.
5. Mash in a mortar (suribachi). Add the beans a little at a time, putting your weight into it as you grind.
6. Season with sugar and salt. Mix in the sugar in 2-3 batches, and finish with a pinch of salt. If it’s too stiff, add water a little at a time.

💡 3 Tips That Change Everything

① Peel the Thin Skins, Even If It’s a Pain

When you remove the thin skins, the color becomes an incredibly vibrant green. The texture becomes smoother, too.

Honestly, it’s the most tedious step. But if you skip it, you’ll end up with a dull color and a gritty texture.

② The Grind Determines the Texture

• Coarse Grind → Leaves some bean chunks for a rustic, robust flavor.
• Smooth Grind → More refined, perfect for shakes and lattes.

For zunda mochi, I prefer it with a few chunks left. It really feels like you’re eating beans, you know?

③ Think of Sugar as Enhancing the Beans’ Sweetness

Edamame has its own natural sweetness, so the sugar is just there to enhance it.

If you add too much, it just becomes a generic sweet green paste. What a waste.

🧊 How to Store It

Freshly made zunda paste will last for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

If you make a large batch, divide it into small portions, wrap it flat in plastic wrap, and freeze it.

Keeping it flat makes it easy to break off just the amount you need. It’ll last for about a month in the freezer.

I recommend thawing it slowly in the fridge. If you’re in a hurry, you can run it under cold water while it’s still in the bag.

🍨 How to Use Your Zunda Paste

• Zunda Mochi… The classic! For the basic recipe, check out my Ultimate Zunda Mochi Recipe.
• Zunda Shake… Blend 3 tbsp of paste + 150ml of milk + ice. A summer staple.
• Zunda Toast… Just spread butter on a piece of toast and top it with zunda paste. The salty-sweet combination is the best.
• Variations… You can also make the Sakura Zunda Mochi and Strawberry Zunda Daifuku from my 3 Spring Zunda Mochi Arrangement Recipes with this paste.

🥄 …By the Way, Someone’s Been “Taste-Testing” a Lot

Right, this happened while I was making it.

Zundamon: “Zunko-sama, time for a taste test, nanoda!”

Zunko: “Okay, just one spoonful.”

Zundamon: “…Time for another taste test, nanoda!”

Zunko: “You just had some, didn’t you?”

Zundamon: “That was before adding the sugar, so this is a different taste test, nanoda!”

…I suppose that logic checks out.

Before I knew it, about twenty percent of the paste in the mortar was gone.

But, if he’s going to eat it with that much enjoyment, I guess it’s okay. That’s the happiness of zunda, after all. 💚

🌟 Summary

• The edamame season is long (May-Oct), but the peak is July-Aug (aomame) and Aug-Sep (chame).
• The top 3 cultivation areas are Niigata, Yamagata, and Akita. Tohoku is the edamame kingdom!
• Choose plump pods with thick fuzz and boil them the same day you buy them.
• Boil for 3-5 minutes and don’t rinse with water when cooling.
• Peeling the thin skins makes the color vibrant and the texture smooth.
• Start with less sugar, and finish with a pinch of salt to bring it all together.
• You can freeze it to enjoy zunda all year round.

Zunda is a treasure given to us by the Tohoku summer.

It takes some effort, but it’s an honest food that gets more delicious the more work you put into it.

If you try making it, please let me know what you think! We’ll be waiting for you on our X account (@zunda_union).

Well then, have a wonderful zunda summer! 💚