Bean jams

Bean jams are sweet bean pastes — Japanese an or ann — that form the basis of many Japanese confectionery products. Adzuki or other beans are simmered, sweetened with sugar, and mashed or sieved into smooth (koshian) or chunky (tsubuan) pastes that fill dorayaki, mochi, taiyaki, and moon cakes. Their high sugar content preserves them by lowering water activity, but industrial versions still need controlled water activity, pH, and hygienic processing for shelf stability. The balance of bean solids to sugar defines texture and keeping quality, and makers guard against crystallisation and fermentation that would spoil these beloved sweet centres.