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| + | ====Background==== | ||
| * あん is made from red {{ruby|小豆|あずき}} beans or white beans such as {{ruby|手亡豆|てぼうまめ}}. | * あん is made from red {{ruby|小豆|あずき}} beans or white beans such as {{ruby|手亡豆|てぼうまめ}}. | ||
| * 小豆 are made in different regions in Japan (and outside). Most of the Japanese production is in 北海道, but there is also some production near 京都 (called 丹波). The latter cost about 3 times as much. When buying beans, the bright colour is a good indicator of quality. | * 小豆 are made in different regions in Japan (and outside). Most of the Japanese production is in 北海道, but there is also some production near 京都 (called 丹波). The latter cost about 3 times as much. When buying beans, the bright colour is a good indicator of quality. | ||
| * 小豆 are a bit bitter, which white beans usually aren' | * 小豆 are a bit bitter, which white beans usually aren' | ||
| * You differentiate between {{ruby|粒|つぶ}}あん and こし餡. The former cooks the beans in their entirety, the latter removes their skins to make a smooth paste. | * You differentiate between {{ruby|粒|つぶ}}あん and こし餡. The former cooks the beans in their entirety, the latter removes their skins to make a smooth paste. | ||
| - | * You could technically make 粒あん with white beans, but it's not very common. | + | * You could technically make 粒あん with white beans, but it's not very common. Because of this, when I write 白あん below, I mean こし餡 from white beans. |
| * You can go one step further and make さらし餡, | * You can go one step further and make さらし餡, | ||
| - | ===Cooking beans=== | + | 🧂 Be very careful about adding salt when adding sugar. In Western pastries it is a very good rule to add 0.5% of sugar in salt, but in Japanese sweets it's more obvious (or Japanese palates, or just KM's in particular, pick up on it more easily). |
| + | |||
| + | ====Cooking beans==== | ||
| * Before adding any sugar, the beans need cooking. | * Before adding any sugar, the beans need cooking. | ||
| * Depending on the variety of the bean, they might not even need soaking overnight. | * Depending on the variety of the bean, they might not even need soaking overnight. | ||
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| ^ First | Fill pot halfway with water, cook on high until the cooking water takes on 紅茶色 and about about 90% of the beans are wrinkly. This usually takes about 10' after reaching a boil. | Fill pot halfway with water. Cook until about 20-30% of the beans become translucent. This, too, takes about 10' | ^ First | Fill pot halfway with water, cook on high until the cooking water takes on 紅茶色 and about about 90% of the beans are wrinkly. This usually takes about 10' after reaching a boil. | Fill pot halfway with water. Cook until about 20-30% of the beans become translucent. This, too, takes about 10' | ||
| ^ | ^ | ||
| - | ^ Third | Dump, rinse, fill pot. Simmer at about 110% covered for about 30', checking every 5' until very soft. | Dump, rinse, fill pot. Simmer at about 110% covered for about 30' | + | ^ Third | Dump, rinse, fill pot. Simmer at about 110% covered for about 30', checking every 5' until very soft. Keep the cooking liquid afterwards! |
| - | ===こし餡=== | + | ====こし餡==== |
| * There are different philosophies about the cooking liquid. To retain more 風味, preserve it. | * There are different philosophies about the cooking liquid. To retain more 風味, preserve it. | ||
| * Mash the beans, return to the cooking liquid. Shake out the skins. | * Mash the beans, return to the cooking liquid. Shake out the skins. | ||
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| * Add all the sugar and 水飴, if using, with **half of the 生餡**. Like this, the sugar has a chance to melt (you can also add a little bit of water to speed up the melting). As soon as it starts to boil, add the rest of the 生餡 and reduce while stirring constantly (川」) until the dough stands by itself. This too takes about 10'. | * Add all the sugar and 水飴, if using, with **half of the 生餡**. Like this, the sugar has a chance to melt (you can also add a little bit of water to speed up the melting). As soon as it starts to boil, add the rest of the 生餡 and reduce while stirring constantly (川」) until the dough stands by itself. This too takes about 10'. | ||
| - | + | * This should yield about 700 gr of 白あん. | |
| - | ===練り切り=== | + | |
| ➡️ The recipe for 練り切りたね is on the [[nerikiri|練り切り]] page. Remember that you could start from finished 白あん, but it's easier to work in one step from the 生餡. | ➡️ The recipe for 練り切りたね is on the [[nerikiri|練り切り]] page. Remember that you could start from finished 白あん, but it's easier to work in one step from the 生餡. | ||
| - | |||
| - | ===My old recipe=== | ||
| - | * Cover beans with water and wait for one night. | ||
| - | * Then cook them, adding cold water 3 times as they start to boil. | ||
| - | * Strain in water, put through a cloth and squeeze out water. | ||
| - | * Use about ⅔ of the initial, dry weight of the beans in sugar and cook with ⅓ of the bean paste. Then add another third, and then another. Cook until it's dry to the touch. | ||
| - | |||
| - | 🧂 Be very careful about adding salt when adding sugar. In Western pastries that is a very good rule to add 0.5% of sugar in salt, but in Japanese sweets it's more obvious (or Japanese palates, or just KM's in particular, pick up on it more easily). | ||
| ➡️ I tried peeling the beans before straining, but passing them through the //Flotte Lotte// and then through the //Tamiz//, I couldn' | ➡️ I tried peeling the beans before straining, but passing them through the //Flotte Lotte// and then through the //Tamiz//, I couldn' | ||
| - | ===Measurements=== | ||
| - | * 500 gr dry beans, will yield about 700 gr strained cooked beans | ||
| - | * Adding 500 gr of sugar and cooking down until it doesn' | ||
| - | ===Variations=== | + | ====Variations==== |
| - | | + | |
| - | * 黄身餡 adds some cooked, strained egg yolk. You can also make it with fresh yolk and cook that again, but KM gave me a very strong reaction because of the rawer egg taste, so maybe that's not for everyone. | + | * **Coffee**: 米満老舗 in 京都, an otherwise thoroughly unremarkable shop, make a tasty coffee 大福 where they add some milk foam to the coffee-flavoured 白あん |
| - | * For the [[hanabira|花弁餅]], | + | |
| - | * 桜あん: | + | |
| + | * **味噌**: | ||
| + | * **peas**: うぐいす餡 uses peas, which is very nice, because they cook in about 20' and don't need soaking. This あん likes it if some 日本酒 is added. I use this in my [[kinton|雪間の声]]! | ||
| + | * **桜**あん: | ||
| * 10% of salted cherry blossoms to 白あん. Rinse them thoroughly, then separate stems. Blot dry, chop and mix. Colour あん slightly pink. I use this, for example, in my [[yoshinomado|吉野窓]]. | * 10% of salted cherry blossoms to 白あん. Rinse them thoroughly, then separate stems. Blot dry, chop and mix. Colour あん slightly pink. I use this, for example, in my [[yoshinomado|吉野窓]]. | ||
| * Leafy 桜餡: 2 leaves of salted cherry blossom leaves finely chopped with 200 gr of 白あん. Add some colour as well. Aromatically much more interesting than the flowery 桜餡. Works well in [[manjuu|そば饅頭]], | * Leafy 桜餡: 2 leaves of salted cherry blossom leaves finely chopped with 200 gr of 白あん. Add some colour as well. Aromatically much more interesting than the flowery 桜餡. Works well in [[manjuu|そば饅頭]], | ||
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| - | | + | |
| - | | + | ===ずんだ=== |
| + | * Uses green soy beans (枝豆), which is very convenient as you can buy them frozen. | ||
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| + | * 30 gr toasted | ||
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| + | ➡️ Blend it all together with 3 Tbs of hot water. Usually served on simple | ||
| ===ココアン=== | ===ココアン=== | ||
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| * I like to use this in the [[yamamichi|山みち]]. | * I like to use this in the [[yamamichi|山みち]]. | ||
| - | ===Non-bean fillings=== | + | ===Non-bean |
| * [[fenglisu|Pineapple jam]] from the Taiwanese pineapple cakes works well in [[karukan|かるかん]], | * [[fenglisu|Pineapple jam]] from the Taiwanese pineapple cakes works well in [[karukan|かるかん]], | ||
| * The milk filling from midye [[baklava]] is also nice for 練り切り, | * The milk filling from midye [[baklava]] is also nice for 練り切り, | ||
| - | ===Other recipes=== | + | ====Stores==== |
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