Melissa’s Delightful Anpan; Moist and Chewy Bread Filled with Exquisite Red Bean Paste

This article was originally published in the May/June 2009 issue of The ROYAL.
All products, services, and prices are subject to change.

RIHGA Royal Hotel’s Special “Souvenir”
Tsuruya Hachiman’s Anpan

A Melissa connoisseur, Matsuzawa Ichiko’s favorite.
Tsuruya Hachiman and Melissa teamed up to create a masterpiece.

　Among many of Melissa’s long-selling products, my favorite is Tsuruya Hachiman’s Anpan (red bean bun). When it was first released, it attracted so much media attention that many people lined up every day to taste this heavenly treat. It sold out very quickly, and I can’t tell you how many times I cried tears longing to taste a delightful Anpan.

　When I tasted it for the first time, I was utterly impressed by its elegant flavor. It almost tasted like high-class Japanese confectionery!

　The size is relatively small, and each Anpan has unique shapes, which reminded me of an old-school Anpan I liked. They are baked carefully, one by one, by skilled bakers. The dough is made with sake yeast, so they are moist and fluffy, and you can taste a slight aroma of sake.

　You can choose from two types of red bean paste: “Tsubu-an (chunky red bean paste)” and “Koshi-an (smooth red bean paste).” My favorite is Tsubu-an. It is made from Japanese Dainagon red beans produced by Tsuruya Hachiman, a Japanese confectionery shop with a long history. Each bean in the paste is large, plump, and rich, shining like black diamonds. The gorgeous sweetness is simply irresistible. 

　Anpan makes a great souvenir. Whenever I bring some to a meeting, they make everyone happy. Melissa’s Anpan, though small in size, is powerful enough to energize your mind and body with its luxuriousness.

～Recipe～
“The key is to ferment slowly at natural temperature.”

The bread dough made with sake yeast enhances the taste of the high-quality red bean paste. After slowly fermenting the dough at natural temperature for an hour, it is filled with red bean paste, shaped, and brushed with egg wash. After a while, to give the dough a richer flavor, brush it with egg wash once more and put it in the oven. Everything is done by hand, so only 100 pieces can be made each day. Fifty of which are filled with Tsubu-an and the other fifty with Koshi-an. “That is why each piece is special,” Matsuzawa says.

RIHGA Royal Hotel’s Special Souvenir

Melissa’s “Tsuruya Hachiman’s Anpan”

¥250 / piece
¥1,500 / 6 pieces (3 Tsubu-an, 3 Koshi-an)

Gourmet Boutique Melissa
RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka 1st Floor
10:00 – 20:30
Phone: +81(0) 6-6448-2412 (direct) Open all year round

（Text by Matsuzawa Ichiko）

All Pictures shown are for illustration purposes only.　
All prices include tax.
This article was originally published in the May/June 2009 issue of The ROYAL.
All products, services, and prices are subject to change.