Youkan is a traditional Japanese sweet made primarily from sweetened bean paste, typically served in a firm jelly-like block. Here are the main ingredients typically used in youkan:
Beans: These beans commonly used in Japanese sweets. They are boiled, mashed, and sweetened to create the bean paste filling.
Sugar: Used to sweeten the azuki bean paste. The amount of sugar may vary depending on the recipe and personal preference.
Agar Agar: A vegetarian alternative to gelatin, agar agar is derived from seaweed and is used to set the bean paste mixture into a firm jelly-like consistency.
Water: Used to dissolve agar agar and to adjust the consistency of the bean paste mixture.
Flavorings: Occasionally, additional flavorings such as matcha (green tea powder), chestnuts, or sesame may be added to the youkan for variety.
Optional Ingredients: Depending on the recipe and regional variations, other ingredients such as sweet potatoes or pumpkin may be added for flavor or texture variations. However, the basic youkan primarily consists of azuki beans, sugar, agar agar, and water.