In Japan, the most popular desserts are actually made from a small red bean called azuki. Boiled and mixed with sugar, it forms anko, a sweet bean paste that is a popular filling for many treats.

Below is a list of just a few of the dessert dishes you can expect to find azuki in:

Ice Cream – Forget about hot fudge and caramel sauce. Azuki is a popular topping for ice cream in Japan. Who needs peanuts and cherries when you have beans and sugar?

Dorayaki – Like pancakes? Then you’ll probably like dorayaki. It’s like having two pancakes stacked on top of each other, but with a sweet bean paste in between. Just as tasty, but less messy. No syrup needed.

Anpan – Anpan is a sweet bread filled with azuki bean paste. Other fillings are sometimes used as well, but azuki is the most common.

Daifuku – Daifuku is a soft and squishy rice cake, called mochi, which is filled with red bean paste. In addition to its white variety, the mochi is often colored pale pink or green.

If you are interested in trying red bean paste yourself, anko can be purchased at most asian grocery stores. If you live in a smaller city or where such stores are not available, perhaps you’d like to try making your own anko. Like peanut butter, anko comes in a variety of different textures and consistencies, depending on individual preference or recipe used. Sometimes the paste is smooth and creamy; sometimes it is chunky.

Either way, anko is relatively easy to make. Why not try the following recipe and see for yourself?

Anko Recipe:

1 cup azuki beans
10 cups water
1 cup sugar
½ tsp salt

Soak the azuki beans overnight in a pan with 5 cups of water. In the morning, bring the water to a boil. Then, remove the pan from heat and drain and rinse the beans.

Add 5 cups of fresh water to the pan and bring it to a boil again. Turn the heat to low setting and let simmer, covered, for about 2 hours, or until the beans are tender.

Add sugar and salt to the beans and continue to let it simmer, now uncovered. Stir the mixture frequently until it begins to thicken. When the paste reaches a desired consistency, remove from heat.

Let it cool for 5 minutes, and then you are ready to eat. Enjoy with friends or eat it all yourself. I promise I won’t tell.