IMBB 11: strawberry and persimmon daifuku

IMBB 11 is here, hosted by cathy, and the theme is beans, beans, beans. my entry: the japanese sweet daifuku.

azuki, a small, red bean, with a sweet, nutty flavour, has been grown in asia for centuries, probably originating in china. it is commonly used in confectionery items here in asia, and found in everything from sweet soups to baked goods. while the concept may be wholly foreign to westerners, azuki makes a wonderful sweet--it is rich and heavy, so it provides a depth beyond sugar sweetness, but it is low in fat and full of fiber so arguably it is better for you than a dessert filled with dairy products or refined flours. in terms of flavour and texture, i can only think chestnut paste or purée as similar.



in japan, the beans are cooked with sugar, and then either used whole (anko) or puréed into a chunky paste (tsubushi-an), or a smooth paste (koshi-an). anko is simple to make. this is a basic recipe (i prefer using palm sugar instead of refined white). it is this sweet bean that is the basis for many japanese confections. it is used as a filling for steamed buns or baked cakes, as a topping for ice creams and fruit salad, or mixed with jellies or ice and milk.


ichigo daifuku

i decided to use this bean paste in daifuku (die-foo-koo), a glutinous sweet rice (mochi) cake with a filling, usually the smooth azuki paste (koshi-an). sometimes other things are added, like fresh fruit, chestnuts, sesame seeds or even peanut butter. one of my favourites is ichigo daifuku, or strawberry mochi cake. i don't really appreciate koshi-an, and usually there's way too much of it and not enough strawberry, so i made this with a barely mashed scant tablespoonful of anko, wrapped around a monstrous large korean strawberry, then covered with mochi, which i made using this handy-dandy microwave method. it is then rolled in katakuriko (potato starch) to alleviate the surface stickiness.



i also made a persimmon variety, since semi-dried persimmons are in the market. these are much softer than dried ones, and the texture is similar to a sticky, concentrated jelly. i cut each persimmon in half, filled it with a teaspoonful of anko, pinched it into a closed ball and then wrapped it in mochi.

i love the mix of textures--the soft, sticky mochi and the slightly chunky, chewy beans with the cool, cellulose-y flesh of the fruit. the flavours of the ichigo daifuku are especially pleasing, as the sweet beans somehow manage to make the strawberry tarter and sweeter at the same time, and the mochi, while bland, carries the flavours over, prolonging the little bit of summertime that a good strawberry (or good ichigo daifuku) manages to convey.