餡(あん)

あん
noun
sweet bean paste; thick starchy sauce
food
1. sweet bean paste, red bean paste, filling (for wagashi)
Most commonly refers to sweet paste made from azuki beans, used in Japanese confections. Can be smooth (koshi-an) or chunky (tsubu-an).
この大福(だいふく)には餡(あん)がたっぷり入(はい)っている。
This daifuku is filled with plenty of sweet bean paste.
餡(あん)は粒餡(つぶあん)と漉(こ)し餡(あん)のどちらが好(す)きですか。
Do you prefer chunky or smooth bean paste?
祖母(そぼ)は小豆(あずき)から餡(あん)を手作(てづく)りした。
My grandmother made sweet bean paste from azuki beans by hand.
2. thick starchy sauce, savory filling
Refers to thickened sauces used in Chinese and Japanese cuisine, often made with starch.
餡(あん)かけ焼(や)きそばを注文(ちゅうもん)した。
I ordered fried noodles with thick sauce.
とろみのある餡(あん)が料理(りょうり)に絡(から)んで美味(おい)しい。
The thick sauce coating the dish is delicious.
片栗粉(かたくりこ)で餡(あん)を作(つく)る。
Make a thick sauce with potato starch.

餡(あん) has two distinct meanings depending on context: sweet bean paste used in 和菓子(わがし) (Japanese confections), and savory thickened sauce used in cooking.

SENSE 1 — SWEET BEAN PASTE:
Made from 小豆(あずき) (azuki beans), this is the most common filling in Japanese sweets.

Types

  • 粒餡(つぶあん): chunky bean paste (beans partially intact)
  • 漉(こ)し餡(あん): smooth bean paste (strained)
  • 白餡(しろあん): white bean paste (from white beans)

Found in: 大福(だいふく), 饅頭(まんじゅう), 鯛焼(たいや)き, 羊羹(ようかん)

SENSE 2 — THICK SAUCE:
A starchy sauce made with 片栗粉(かたくりこ) (potato starch), used in Chinese-influenced Japanese dishes.

Writing

Also commonly written in hiragana as あん.

Related Words

Synonym: 餡子(あんこ) (sweet bean paste (colloquial))
Related: 小豆(あずき) (azuki bean (main ingredient))
Compare: 肉(にく)だね (meat mixture)
Compare: きんとん (sweetened chestnut paste)
general
Added 2026.2.5 23:29 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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