Various types of 'ANKO' (red bean paste)

 Today we'll be introducing a type of Japanese confectionery that you'll often see in Japan: anko.

There are many different types of anko.
The most common type is made from azuki beans and sugar.
Like many other Japanese foods, anko has been eaten since the Edo period.
The favorite food of Doraemon, dorayaki, also contains anko.

 There are different types of 'anko' made from azuki beans and sugar.
① 'Tsubuan', ② 'Koshi-an', ③ 'Tsubushi-an', ④ 'Ogura-an
① and ② are the most common types of 'anko'. ③ and ④ are variations on ① and ②.

① "Tsubuan"
Tsubuan" is made by cooking azuki beans without crushing them, while retaining their shape. The shape of the azuki beans is left intact. You can enjoy the texture of the individual beans, and it is very filling.

② "Koshi-an"
Koshi-an" is made by straining cooked azuki beans through a cloth. The bean skins are removed. It is characterized by its smooth texture.

③ "Tsubushi-an"
Tsubushi-an is made by deliberately crushing the azuki beans used to make ① "Tsubu-an". The shape of the azuki beans disappears, but the skins of the beans remain. It is smoother than ① "Tsubu-an" and has a stronger flavor than ② "Koshi-an".

④ "Ogura-an
Ogura-an is made by mixing large-sized azuki beans (Dainagon azuki beans) into ③ "koshi-an". You can enjoy both the smoothness of ③ "koshi-an" and the texture of the large azuki beans.

These are all anko made from azuki beans, but there are also anko made from other beans.

⑤ "Shiro-an"
The word "shiro" in "shiro-an" means white. This is anko made from white kidney beans. High-quality Japanese sweets are made by coloring and shaping this white anko.

⑥ 'Uguisu-an'
The word 'uguisu' in 'uguisu-an' means Japanese bush warbler. It is called 'uguisu-an' because its color is similar to that of the Japanese bush warbler. The main ingredient is green peas (green soybeans). It is anko with a gentle sweetness.

⑦ "Zunda-an"
Zunda-an" was a local specialty of the Tohoku region of Japan. It is made from immature soy beans (edamame) (called "zunda"). The method of making it is simpler than other types of anko, but this means that the fresh edamame flavor remains. It is a delicious treat that you can't get enough of, and it has become known throughout Japan since around 2000.
The character "Zundamon", which you often see on Japanese Youtube channels, is based on this "zunda".

In a broad sense, 'anko' is a type of jam. Just as jam is a home-style dish, 'anko' was originally a home-style dish.
In addition to beans, sweet potatoes, chestnuts, pumpkins, peanuts and walnuts are also used to make 'anko'.
'Anko' is a local dish that uses ingredients that are grown in the local area.

There are many sweets in Japan that use anko, but it was not until the Meiji era that mass production of these sweets became possible.
The beginning of mass production was the invention of a pot for boiling beans and a machine for peeling the skins of beans by a technician from Shizuoka Prefecture named Yusaku Kitagawa.

 Yusaku Kitagawa had many disciples. One of them, Ginsaku Hojo, set up a bean jam factory in Osaka.
You can read the story in this booklet.

Hojo-seian
https://www.hojo-seian.com/

Booklet↓
https://www.hojo-seian.com/wp/wp-content/themes/hojo-seian/assets/img/about/100th-min.pdf