Anko KitKats

Another Limited Edition seasonal KitKat offering graced the shelves this week.Anko flavoured KitKats.
Anko is red azuki bean paste.Azuki beans grown throughout Asia are small red beans though white,black and other varieties exist.
To make anko azuki beans are boiled,mashed and sweetened with sugar or honey.There are apparently two types of anko.The first is a smooth paste in which the beans are mashed and strained using cheesecloth or similiar material.Alternatively a sieve can also be used.Straining or sieving removes the husks and broken bits of beans from the paste giving it a regular consistent texture.
The second type of anko paste is unstrained so retains the broken bean bits and husks giving it a rougher,irregular texture.
In Japanese a number of terms are used for red bean paste including an,anko and ogura.
Locally,ogura toast which is red bean paste on buttered toast is a well known and popular item on Nagoyan kissatens(coffee shops) breakfast menus.
As for the anko kitkats above they have a subtle sweet taste and make an interesting conversation starter.