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Shiruko
Japanese dessert / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shiruko (汁粉), or oshiruko (お汁粉) with the honorific o (お), is a traditional Japanese dessert.[1] It is a sweet porridge of azuki beans boiled and crushed, served in a bowl with mochi.[1][2] There are different styles of shiruko, such as shiruko with candied chestnuts, or with glutinous rice flour dumplings instead of mochi.
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There are two types of shiruko based on different methods of cooking azuki beans. Azuki beans may be turned into paste, crushed without keeping their original shape, or a mix of paste and roughly crushed beans.[2] There is a similar dish, zenzai (善哉/ぜんざい), which is made from condensed paste with heat and is less watery than shiruko, like making jam or marmalade. In Western Japan, zenzai refers to a type of shiruko made from a mixture of paste and crushed beans.[2] In Okinawa, the term zenzai commonly refers to this bean soup served over shaved ice with mochi. Other toppings, such as sweetened condensed milk, are occasionally added for flavor.
The half-melted sticky mochi and the sweet, warm red bean porridge is enjoyed by many Japanese, especially during the winter.[2] Shiruko is frequently served with a side dish of something sour or salty, such as umeboshi or shiokombu to refresh the palate as shiruko is so sweet that the taste may cloy after a while.
In Tottori Prefecture and Shimane Prefecture, shiruko is also used for zōni, the special soup for New Year celebration.