Azuki Bar: Imuraya’s Classic Red Bean Ice Cream
Azuki (小豆), also spelled Adzuki, is a small red bean native to East Asia, which is an essential ingredient for Wagashi (和菓子) or traditional Japanese confections.
That is because Anko (餡子), the red bean paste indispensable for the Wagashi sweets, consists of Azuki red beans simmered and sweetened with sugar.
In Japan, sweet treats using Azuki red beans are available everywhere, and ice creams are no exception;
In addition to Monaka Azuki Ice Cream, what I introduce here, Azuki Bar (あずきバー) from Imuraya, is a representative of the Japanese ice cream whose main ingredient is an Azuki red bean.
Imuraya Azuki Bar (井村屋 あずきバー)
With a classical package design that reminds many Japanese of their childhood memories, Imuraya Azuki Bar (Release Year: 1973) has long been a favorite summertime refreshment in Japan.
The Azuki Bar ice cream (which I bought at a convenience store for 130 yen) has a reddish-brown color and spots that make people think it must be Azuki red beans, which is correct, as shown in the picture below.
If you have never tried Anko red bean paste, you might think the Japanese popsicle looks bizarre. But it actually tastes good and is easy to eat.
With a subtle Anko flavor, the ice pop is mild and refreshing with the right degree of sweetness, where the whole Azuki beans embedded are very tender and melt in your mouth!
Ingredients/Nutrition Facts
Lastly, for your information, here are the specific ingredients used in the Azuki Bar ice cream and its nutrition facts.
| Sugar, Azuki red bean, Starch syrup, Corn starch, Salt |
Nutritional Values
| Calories | 156 kcal |
| Protein | 3.3 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 34.6 g |
| Salt equivalents | 0.2 g |
(Reference Page: Imuraya Azuki Bar Series, Wikipedia あずきバー )
