Red bean paste

Red bean paste, or anko, is a sweet paste made from cooked azuki beans. Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries describes a home recipe in which azuki beans are cooked in water until soft, then sugar and a little salt are added and the mixture is simmered until thick, giving a grainy paste. One regional recipe uses 400 grams of azuki beans, 500 grams of sugar and a teaspoon of salt.

The ministry's regional-cuisine pages show the paste used as a filling, such as in kashiwa mochi, a rice dumpling filled with sweet red bean paste, and the page notes anko can be made from azuki or from kidney beans.

Outside the home kitchen, red bean paste fills buns, mochi, dorayaki pancakes and other pastries. It can be left chunky or strained smooth.