Hey everyone! It’s Zundamon, nanoda!
Yesterday, October 8th, was Kanro (the Cold Dew solar term), nanoda. The morning air is getting chilly, and it really feels like autumn is setting in, nanoda.
…And on a day like this, for some reason, I got a sudden, intense craving for a Zunda Shake, nanoda.
Kiritan: “Why now? You should’ve said so in the summer.”
Me: “Zunda Shakes are for all seasons, nanoda!”
That’s right, nanoda. If you use frozen edamame, you can make a Zunda Shake all year round, nanoda!
The Zunda Shake is known as a beloved drink in Sendai, nanoda. I bet a lot of you have seen it in the souvenir sections on your travels, nanoda.
Today, I’m going to try and recreate it using only things I have at home, nanoda! 🥤
※ I can’t perfectly replicate the taste from the shops, nanoda. Think of this as an “at-home Zunda Shake,” nanoda.
🛒 What You’ll Need, Nanoda
- Edamame (frozen in the pod or fresh boiled is OK, nanoda)
- Milk
- Vanilla ice cream
- Sugar (if needed, after tasting)
- Ice (optional)
I’m not going to list exact amounts on purpose, nanoda. That’s because Zunko-sama said this, nanoda.
Zunko-sama: “You know, with Zunda Shakes, the sweetness of the beans and the ice cream varies a lot between products. So, don’t get tied down by numbers; it’s best to taste as you go and add things a little at a time.”
Supervised by Zunko-sama, nanoda!
The vanilla ice cream is already sweet, so I recommend tasting it at the end before deciding on sugar, nanoda.
🌀 How to Make It, Nanoda
- Boil the edamame, nanoda (if it’s frozen, just heat it according to the package directions, nanoda).
- Pop the beans out of the pods, nanoda.
- Carefully peel off the thin inner skin, nanoda (this is the most important part, nanoda!).
- Put the beans, milk, and vanilla ice cream into a blender, nanoda.
- Blend until it’s smooth, nanoda.
- Taste it and adjust the sweetness and thickness, nanoda.
- Add ice if you like, give it one more quick blend, and it’s ready, nanoda!
The trick is to start with a small amount of milk, nanoda. You can always add more, but you can’t take it away, nanoda.
If you already have zunda paste made, you can just blend that with milk and ice cream, nanoda.
To learn how to make zunda paste, check out Zunko-sama’s A Serious Zunda Paste Basics Course: Made with In-Season Edamame post, nanoda! 💚
😱 Please Listen to My Failure Story, Nanoda
I’ll confess honestly, nanoda.
The first time I tried, I threw everything into the blender without peeling the thin skins, nanoda.
It was just too much trouble, nanoda. I thought the thin skins would get pulverized in the blender, nanoda.
They did not, nanoda.
What I ended up with was a gritty, indescribable drink that left a thin film of skin on my tongue with every sip, nanoda.
Kiritan: “This is less of a drink and more like… sandpaper.”
Me: “That’s so mean, nanoda! But I can’t deny it, nanoda!”
So, always peel the thin skins, nanoda. It’s a promise between you and me, nanoda.
If you pinch them with your fingers while they’re still warm, they slip right off, and it’s really satisfying, nanoda. This part is tedious, but you can’t skip it, nanoda.
🥄 Team Chunky vs. Team Smooth, Nanoda
After making it, I realized there are two main schools of thought for Zunda Shakes, nanoda.
Team Chunky
- Blend for a shorter time, nanoda.
- This leaves a strong bean flavor and a nice, chunky texture, nanoda.
- It’s easier to drink with a wide straw, nanoda.
Team Smooth
- Blend for a good long time, nanoda.
- If you want it even smoother, you can strain it through a sieve, nanoda.
- You’ll get a texture like something you’d be served at a cafe, nanoda.
I’m definitely on Team Chunky, nanoda. It really feels like you’re drinking zunda, nanoda!
Zunko-sama: “I prefer it smooth. It really brings out the light aroma of the beans.”
Kiritan: “I don’t care either way, just let me drink it already.”
Kiritan is so honest, nanoda.
🧊 No Blender? No Problem! And Fun Variations, Nanoda!
For those of you saying, “I don’t have a blender at home, nanoda!"—don’t give up, nanoda.
After peeling the thin skins, put the edamame in a heavy-duty plastic bag and crush them with a pestle, or mash them in a bowl with the back of a fork, nanoda.
If you mix in the milk and ice cream then, it won’t be smooth, but you’ll have what I call the “Ultimate Chunky Version,” nanoda.
I got a little carried away and tried some variations, too, nanoda.
- Swap milk for soy milk… It’s lighter and makes the bean aroma really stand out, nanoda.
- Add more vanilla ice cream… It becomes rich and creamy, more like a dessert, nanoda.
- Use more ice… It gets slushy and feels perfect for summer, nanoda.
- Serve with a zunda mochi on the side… With the shake and the mochi, it’s the ultimate set for double the zunda enjoyment, nanoda!
Kiritan: “That last one was just because you wanted to eat it, wasn’t it?”
Me: “…You caught me, nanoda.”
👀 A Taste Test with the Three of Us, Nanoda
I had everyone try my second attempt, the one I remade, nanoda.
Zunko-sama: “Oh, this is delicious. You can still taste the edamame aroma. Using less milk was the right call.”
I did it, nanoda!
Kiritan: “…It’s too sweet. I think adding a little more milk would balance it better.”
Kiritan’s a tough critic, nanoda.
Kiritan: “But I’ll have another.”
That’s the best review of all, nanoda!!
I drank three glasses, nanoda. And then I got a brain freeze and couldn’t move for a while, nanoda.
Drink cold things slowly, nanoda…
💚 Today’s Summary, Nanoda
The at-home Zunda Shake was a huge success, nanoda!
- You can make it all year round using frozen edamame, nanoda.
- Always peel the thin skins, nanoda. If you don’t, it’ll be like sandpaper, nanoda.
- Don’t stick to fixed amounts; taste as you go and add ingredients little by little, nanoda.
- Start with less milk. You can always add more, nanoda.
- Whether you’re Team Chunky or Team Smooth, both are correct, nanoda!
As autumn deepens, warm drinks become more popular, nanoda.
But drinking a cold Zunda Shake while snuggled under a kotatsu in a warm room… that’s a special kind of bliss, nanoda! 🥤
Zunko-sama, who supervised me, is introduced on the Tohoku Zunko page, our tough critic Kiritan is on the Tohoku Kiritan page, and you can find me on the Zundamon page, nanoda.
Are you Team Chunky? Or Team Smooth? Let me know on X at @zunda_union, nanoda.
Well then, see you in the next blog post, nanoda~!
This was Zundamon, nanoda~! 🌱