| Shiruko | |
| Country: | Japan |
| Course: | Dessert |
| Served: | Hot, cold |
| Main Ingredient: | Azuki beans, mochi, sugar |
| Similar Dish: | Zenzai, Hong dou tang, patjuk |
, or with the honorific, is a traditional Japanese dessert.[1] It is a sweet porridge of azuki beans boiled and crushed, served in a bowl with .[1] [2] There are different styles of, such as with candied chestnuts, or with glutinous rice flour dumplings instead of .
The half-melted sticky and the sweet, warm red bean porridge is enjoyed by many Japanese, especially during the winter.[2] is frequently served with a side dish of something sour or salty, such as or to refresh the palate as is so sweet that the taste may cloy after a while.
There are two types of 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,, which is made from condensed paste with heat and is less watery than, like making jam or marmalade. In Western Japan, refers to a type of made from a mixture of paste and crushed beans.[2] In Okinawa, the term commonly refers to this bean soup served over shaved ice with . Other toppings, such as sweetened condensed milk, are occasionally added for flavor.
In Tottori Prefecture and Shimane Prefecture, is also used for, the special soup for New Year celebration.