The world loves boiled and salted edamame. But how about sweet?

In the same realm as sushi and ramen, edamame is one of those Japanese foods that has become as common abroad as it is at home. Soybeans (the mature form of edamame) made their way into Japan from China almost two millennia ago, and records show that edamame (the green, immature form of the bean) was part of the standard Japanese diet in the Nara (710-94) and Heian (794-1185) periods. By the Edo Period (1603-1867), merchants ambling around town carrying whole plants full of edamame pods — a sign of freshly picked beans — were a summertime fixture.

Boiled in the pod and lightly salted, edamame has become popular around the globe as a light appetizer or snack. But what if there was a way to turn these green beans into a sweet treat for summer? Zundamochi is a traditional sweet from Sendai in the northeast Tohoku region.

One popular theory is that it was invented in the Sengoku Period (1482-1573) by the one-eyed warlord Date Masamune, who would mash up edamame with the handle of his jintachi (a practical sword made for battle instead of ceremony). Somehow, “jintachi” evolved into the word ”zunda,” which has come to mean “mashed edamame.” This tale is probably apocryphal, but offers a bit of extra flavor to the already tasty edamame covered in sugar and shiratama (rice flour dumplings). 300 to 400 grams unshelled edamame (150 grams shelled) Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the unshelled edamame and salt. Bring everything back to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes (the edamame should be tender).

Cool the edamame, then shell them. Take each pod between your finger and thumb, and squeeze lightly to pop the bean out of the thin skin. You should end up with around 150 grams of shelled and peeled beans.

Puree the peeled beans in a blender or food processor, or grind them up in a suribachi (mortar) until fairly smooth — it’s fine if some small chunks remain. Add the pureed beans to a pan with the sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Heat while mixing over low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the paste is glossy.

Bring another pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water. In a separate mixing bowl, add the shiratama flour followed by 180 milliliters of water little by little, mixing constantly. When it comes together into a soft dough, knead it briefly to form small dumplings with indentations in the middle.