Yokan — firm Japanese bean-paste jelly
Yokan is a classical Japanese wagashi — a firm, dense, sliceable jelly made from sweetened bean paste (most commonly azuki) set with kanten, the Japanese agar. The block is cut into thin slabs and eaten with green tea. The texture is smoother and denser than the spoonable anmitsu jellies — almost like a soft fruit cheese.
i. Origin & history
Yokan was originally a Chinese dish — a kind of mutton (yō) broth jelly carried to Japan by Zen Buddhist monks. The vegetarian monks reworked it into a sweet form with beans, and by the Edo period yokan was a court delicacy. It is the canonical sweet for tea ceremony and is sold in long, paper-wrapped logs across Japan.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 12 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 500 g sweet red-bean paste (koshian, smooth)
- 250 ml water
- 250 g caster sugar
- 4 g kanten powder
- 1 pinch salt
iii. Method
- Whisk kanten and water in a pan. Bring to a boil, simmer 2 minutes to dissolve.
- Add sugar and salt; stir until dissolved.
- Reduce heat. Add the bean paste in spoonfuls, whisking after each, until smooth and fully combined.
- Cook over low heat 5 minutes, stirring, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
- Pour into a 20 × 10 cm tin lined with cling film. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate 4 hours.
- Turn out and slice into thin (1 cm) slabs with a sharp wet knife.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Smooth paste only. Chunky tsubuan makes a coarse yokan.
- Stir constantly. Bean paste catches and burns easily on a hot base.
- Pour through a sieve. Eliminates any unsmooth bits and gives the glassy top.
v. Variations
Mizu yokan uses less kanten for a softer, summer version. Matcha yokan uses white-bean paste and matcha. Chestnut yokan presses whole candied chestnuts into the slab.
vi. Common questions
What is yokan?
Yokan is firm japanese bean-paste jelly, from japanese cuisine. The block is cut into thin slabs and eaten with green tea
Where is yokan from?
Yokan is from the japanese dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does yokan keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 2 weeks refrigerated, well wrapped.