In Japan, there are some foods for which no Western analog exists. One of them is the perennially popular anko (adzuki bean paste).
Before sugar became a common foodstuff in Japan during the Edo Period (1603-1867), naturally sweet ingredients like adzuki beans were used to give a saccharine feel to desserts such as dorayaki (anko-filled sweet pancakes) and taiyaki (anko-filled, fish-shaped cakes). To this day, even when I don¡¯t have time to make crumpets, anko with butter has become one of my go-to toast toppings.
For spring and summer parties, it helps to have a dessert that travels well. Tarts and pies often crumble or collapse because of their fragile crusts and delicate fillings. What would happen, then, if a more solid core like anko took center stage?
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