Ogura Yokan: A Sweet Azuki Red Bean Cake
Yokan (羊羹), also spelled Youkan, is one of the most common Wagashi (和菓子: traditional Japanese sweets) varieties, whose origin can be traced back to the late 1300s. It is a simple jelly-like dessert made...
Tagged: Anko
Wagashi: What is the confection “Ankiri”?
Like the squid cracker that I introduced the other day called Ika Mirin Age, there are several good old Japanese snacks whose origin most people don’t know. In addition to Ika Mirin Age, the...
Bourbon Choco Anpan: Chocolate-Filled Mini Snack Buns
Based on the definition of “An (餡)” by Japanese Wikipedia that I introduced in the previous post, chocolate cream can also be considered a kind of An paste, because it is made from cacao...
What exactly is Anko or An in Japanese food culture?
Typically made from boiled Azuki red beans sweetened with sugar, the Anko (餡子) paste is an indispensable part of Wagashi (和菓子) traditional Japanese confections. Sometimes, Anko is abbreviated to An (餡), but until now,...
Mizu Manju: A Traditional Japanese Summer Dessert
As it is getting warmer and warmer, some supermarkets here in Niigata have started to sell summer desserts at the best place to display. Among such summer treats, what quickly caught my eye during...
Wagashi Sweets: Tsubuan Monaka & Koshian Monaka
As mentioned in this article about Tsubu-An (粒あん) and Koshi-An (こし餡), the chunky and smooth Anko (餡子) red bean pastes are often used in Wagashi (和菓子) traditional Japanese confections. Monaka (最中) When it comes...
Ogura An vs. Tsubu An vs. Koshi An: Sweet Red Bean Paste
Japan has many Wagashi confections made with sweet bean paste called Anko (餡子) or An (餡), including Manju, Daifuku, and Dorayaki. There are various varieties of Anko, but many use a red bean species...
Ankoro Mochi vs. Bota Mochi vs. Ohagi Rice Cakes
Commonly used in traditional Japanese confections or Wagashi (和菓子), Mochi (餅) is a plain white rice cake made from glutinous rice called Mochi Gome (もち米). When Wagashi uses Mochi, sweet stuff typically covers it,...
