An, also known as anko (red bean paste), forms the foundation of most wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets). There are various types of an, but the easiest to make at home is tsubu-an, a sweet, chunky paste made with adzuki beans.
An is used to make wagashi such as ohagi or botamochi, the pounded rice dumplings served at higan (holidays around the spring and fall equinoxes). Other tsubu-an favorites include dorayaki, where the paste is sandwiched between small pancakes, taiyaki (fish-shaped pastries filled with tsubu-an) daifuku (mochi-wrapped sweet bean paste) and much more.
Adzuki beans are small and do not need presoaking. Getting the best quality, freshest beans available will make a difference in how fragrant the final result will be.
Store-bought tsubu-an is usually very sweet, so making your own allows you to adjust the sugar level. Here, I have used just two-thirds of the beans’ weight in sugar. I've also included two very easy ways to enjoy tsubu-an: in a sandwich with butter and mixed with ice cream.
Serves 6 to 8
Prep time: 5 mins.
Cook time: 3 hrs. plus resting time
• 300 grams dried adzuki beans
• 200 grams sanontō (Japanese brown sugar) or light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Vanilla ice cream or salted butter to taste
1. Rinse the adzuki beans in cold water and inspect them carefully to remove any excess material.
2. Put the beans in a pot and add enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then drain the beans and rinse again.
3. Repeat step 2, but once the water has reached a boil, lower the heat to medium and continue, stirring up the beans from the bottom of the pot occasionally. If the water boils down below the top of the beans, add more water.
4. Continue cooking until the beans can be easily crushed between your thumb and forefinger. The fresher your beans, the quicker they will cook. In my case, it took a little more than two hours, but it may take as little as 90 minutes.
5. Add the salt and sugar, then stir well, occasionally bringing beans from the bottom of the pot to the top. Do not stir too vigorously at this stage or the beans may split, giving the tsubu-an a pale color. Continue cooking until the beans drop very slowly from your spatula when scooped. The mixture in the pot should still be a little watery since the beans will absorb moisture during the resting period.
6. Cover the pot with a lid and leave off the heat to rest until cool, or about an hour. After that, the tsubu-an is ready to eat. It can be refrigerated for up to two days or frozen for up to two weeks (defrost in the refrigerator).
7. To make tsubu-an with ice cream, place some tsubu-an in a bowl and top with vanilla ice cream. Serve with fresh fruit or whipped cream.
8. To make a tsubu-an and butter sandwich, spread some tsubu-an on a roll and add slices of cold salted butter.
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