Red bean paste () or red bean jam, also called adzuki bean paste or anko (a Japanese word), is a paste made of red beans (also called "adzuki beans"), used in East Asian cuisine. The paste is prepared by boiling the beans, then mashing or grinding them. At this stage, the paste can be sweetened or left as it is. The color of the paste is usually dark red, which comes from the husk of the beans. In Korean cuisine, the adzuki beans (often the black variety) can also be husked prior to cooking, resulting in a white paste. It is also possible to remove the husk by sieving after cooking, but before sweetening, resulting in a red paste that is smoother and more homogeneous.
Etymology
In Japanese, a number of names are used to refer to red bean paste; these include , and . Strictly speaking, the term an can refer to almost any sweet, edible, mashed paste, although without qualifiers red beans are assumed, while refers specifically to the paste made with red beans. Other common forms of an include , made from navy or other white beans, green beans and , made from chestnuts.
Similarly, the Chinese term dòushā (), applies to red bean paste when used without qualifiers, although hóngdòushā () explicitly means "red bean paste."
In Korean, pat (, Vigna angularis) contrasts with kong (, "bean"), rather than being considered a type of it. Kong ("beans") without qualifiers usually means soybeans. As so () means "filling", the word patso () means "pat filling", with unsweetened dark-red paste as its prototype. Dan (, "sweet") attached to patso makes danpat-so (), the sweetened red bean paste, which is often called danpat (; "sweet pat"). Geopi (, "hulled, skinned, peeled, shelled, etc.") attached to pat makes geopipat (), the dehulled red beans and the white paste made of geopipat is called geopipat-so ().
Types
Red bean paste is graded according to its consistency, sweetness, and color.
Chinese
In Chinese cuisine, the most common types are: Mashed Adzuki beans are boiled with sugar and mashed. The paste is smooth with bits of broken beans and bean husk. Depending on the intended texture, the beans can be vigorously or lightly mashed. Some unmashed beans can also be added back into the bean paste for additional texture. This is the most common and popular type of red bean paste eaten in Chinese confections. It can also be eaten on its own or in sweet soups. Smooth Adzuki beans are boiled without sugar, mashed, and diluted into a slurry. The slurry is then strained through a sieve to remove the husk, filtered, and squeezed dry using cheesecloth. Although the dry paste can be directly sweetened and used, oil, either vegetable oil or lard, is usually used to cook the dry paste and improve its texture and mouth feel. Smooth bean paste is mainly used as a filling for Chinese pastries.
Japanese
In Japanese cuisine and confectionery, the most common types are: Tsubuan (): Whole red beans are boiled with sugar but otherwise untreated. Tsubushian (): The beans are mashed after boiling. Koshian (): The beans are passed through a sieve to remove bean skins. This is the most common type. Sarashian (): The beans are dried and reconstituted with water. Ogura-an (): Is a mix of koshian and tsubuan.
Korean
In Korean cuisine and confectionery, the most common types are: Patso (), dark-red paste made by boiling and then mashing or grinding red beans. The bean skins may or may not be removed by sifting the paste through a sieve to make the paste smoother. Danpat () or danpat-so (), sweetened red bean paste, made by adding honey or sugar when making patso. The bean skins are often removed to make the paste smoother. Geopipat-so (), white paste made by boiling dehulled red beans, and then mashing or grinding them.