Anman vs. Anpan vs. Dorayaki vs. Manju: Japanese Sweets

Anman (あんまん), Anpan (あんパン), Dorayaki (どら焼き), and Manju (饅頭) are all popular Japanese sweets, and these treats use one thing in common, which is An (あん/餡), also known as Anko (餡子).

As you can guess, in the names of Anman and Anpan, the word An (あん) stands for Anko, which usually refers to sweet Azuki red bean paste.

Anman vs. Anpan vs. Dorayaki vs. Manju

Not only use Anko sweet red bean paste in common, but Anman, Anpan, Dorayaki, and Manju are also similar in shape, so many people seem to confuse them. 

Then, how do they differ from one another? This article explains the differences for people who don’t know much.

Anman (あんまん)

First off, Anman is a type of Chukaman (中華まん) or Chinese steamed bun. In its name, Man (まん) is the abbreviation of Manju, so the dough is very much like that, soft, light, and fluffy.

Typically made from wheat flour, water, sugar, yeast, and baking powder, the dough of Anman is filled with Anko sweet red bean paste and steamed.

You can find Anpan, Dorayaki, and Manju at stores all year round, whereas Anman is a food that is only available from around September through the winter.

Anpan (あんパン)

In the name of Anpan, Pan (パン) is the word for bread in English, and Anpan is a round roll (bun) leavened with yeast and filled with sweet red bean paste or Anko.

Anpan has whole sesame seeds on top, gathered together at the center, so you can effortlessly tell it apart from other roll varieties.

Dorayaki (どら焼き)

Known as Doraemon’s yummy buns, Dorayaki is a type of wagashi or traditional Japanese confection consisting of two separate round pancakes sandwiched with Anko.

Typically made from wheat flour, hen’s egg, sugar, mirin, water, baking soda/baking powder, and honey, the baked dough of dorayaki is light, fluffy, and somewhat moist.

Manju (饅頭)

As with Dorayaki, Manju is a type of wagashi. Typically made from wheat flour, water, Kokuto brown sugar, and baking soda/baking powder, the dough of Manju is filled with Anko and steamed.

As mentioned above, Manju is similar to Anman, but generally, it is smaller and often comes in brown. On the other hand, the dough of Anman is usually white.