shiroan

Shiroan is a pale, sweet paste made from white beans (shiro-mame) and sugar, used as a filling and glaze in Japanese confectionery. It is one of the common types of anko, alongside the more familiar red bean paste (anko).

Preparation and texture: Shiroan is produced by cooking dried white beans, removing skins, mashing the beans, and cooking with sugar until thickened. The paste can be made coarse or finely strained for a smooth, pale result. Some commercial versions include stabilizers or starch to achieve a uniform consistency. It may also be sold as ready-made paste from canned white beans, though traditionally it is prepared from dried beans.

Uses: In wagashi, shiroan is used as a filling for manju, nerikiri, and mochi, as well as a decorative glaze or sweet layer in layered sweets. Its mild sweetness and light color make it a popular base for flavors such as matcha, chestnut, or citrus.

Variations and naming: In some contexts, the extremely smooth paste derived from white beans is called koshian; however, shiroan and koshian can refer to different degrees of smoothness within white bean pastes used in confectionery.

Cultural note: Shiroan has a long-standing role in Japanese sweets and remains common in traditional and contemporary wagashi, offering a plant-based alternative to azuki-based anko.