Summer in Japan is always hot, but this year I decided to stay cool by learning a few new tricks in the kitchen. Instead of just buying ice cream and kakigori, I experimented with making professional-style homemade gelato using a simple 2,000 yen ice cream maker!

To get the texture just right, smooth, dense, and soft, I experimented with glucose, beet sugar, and pearl agar. Pearl agar is the secret ingredient that gives the gelato that smooth, professional texture without making it too icy. Over the warmer months, we made some incredible flavor combinations:

• Sweetcorn and amazake (a surprisingly sweet and traditional mix)
• Watermelon
• Banana and mango
• Pure mango
• Rich dark chocolate
• Tiramisu

Since I follow a plant-based diet, I also wanted a great milk alternative. I don't particularly enjoy soy milk, and store-bought oat milk can be quite expensive. So, I looked into making my own oat milk at home.

It turns out it is ridiculously easy! All you need are oats, cold water, and a quick blend. I even added a pinch of calcium carbonate to fortify it.

Learning these two simple recipes proved that you don't need expensive equipment to enjoy delicious, custom treats at home.

If you would like to chat about gelato and oat milk, or about making other things at home such as sourdough bread, pizza, fresh pasta, jam, umeshu, umeboshi, and limoncello, feel free to leave a comment below or add a note to your next lesson request. These are all things I've experimented with myself, so there are plenty of possibilities for conversation.

Learning Support and Key Vocabulary

Key Vocabulary

• Secret ingredient (noun phrase): An element or recipe component that makes a dish special or unique.
• Dense (adjective): Thick or solid; having high concentration without much air.
• Plant-based diet (noun phrase): A diet consisting mostly or entirely of foods derived from plants.
• Alternative (noun): An option or substitute chosen instead of something else.
• Fortify (verb): To strengthen or add extra nutrients (like calcium) to food or drink.

Expressions and Phrasal Verbs

• To stay cool: To keep comfortable during warm weather.
• To get something just right: To adjust something until it reaches the ideal quality or result.
• Turn out (phrasal verb): To prove to be, or to have a specific result in the end (example: It turns out it is ridiculously easy!).
• Pick up (phrasal verb): To learn or acquire a new skill or habit informally.
• Look into (phrasal verb): To investigate, research, or explore a topic.