Sweet Azuki Bean Paste

The foundation of many Japanese sweets, anko has a sweet, chestnutlike flavor. Master the technique of making sweet azuki paste, and you can expand your sweets repertoire by preparing many Japanese desserts. Or use anko in Western desserts.

Sweetened cooked azuki beans, in either whole-bean or paste form, and unsweetened powdered azuki are available as a substitute for “the real thing,” but, as is usually the case, there is no comparison between the made-from-scratch a