Anko / Sweet Red Bean Paste
Sweet paste with all the nutrients from azuki beans which is the base of “wagashi” (Japanese-style confectionary)
What is anko?
Anko / sweet red bean paste (あんこ in Japanese) is crushed red azuki beans (adzuki beans) with sugar kneaded in. There are two types of anko: Tsubu-an, which is made by cooking azuki beans so as not to crush the grains, and koshi-an, which is cooked azuki paste with the outer skin removed. Besides "wagashi", it is also used as an ingredient of the popular Japanese bread "Anpan" (sweet bread with anko inside of it). It is also widely used in parfaits and other styles of confectionery.
Nutrition facts
Anko shares a nutritional profile nearly identical to that of azuki beans. Anko is a convenient way to eat azuki beans, but because it contains sugar, it has more carbohydrates than azuki beans on their own.
Storage to prevent food loss
Refrigerate if using within 2-3 days, otherwise keep in the freezer. The high sugar content means it will not get hard when frozen.
Trivia
Azuki paste, also spelled "aduki beans," was salty originally, but during the Muromachi period (1336-1573) sweeter anko started showing up more. Meat was not a big part of Japanese diets in the past, so azuki was a precious source of protein at the time. Also, it is more accurately referred to as sweetened red bean paste rather than sweet red bean paste.
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15min
139kcal
39mg
