Yokan, a jellied red bean dessert from Japan, is celebrated in NY

Record ID: 1441334

  • Title: Yokan, a jellied red bean dessert from Japan, is celebrated in NY
  • Date: 8th November 2019
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 8, 2019) (REUTERS) FORMER WHITE HOUSE PASTRY CHEF BILL YOSSES DIPPING YOKAN POP INTO VEGETABLE-DYED CHOCOLATE YOKAN POP ROLLED AROUND CRISPY QUINOA YOSSES HANDING CHILD YOKAN POP / CHILD EATING YOKAN POP AND GIVING A THUMBS UP YOSSES HANDING OUT YOKAN POP (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER WHITE HOUSE PASTRY CHEF, BILL YOSSES, SAYING:
  • Embargoed: 22nd November 2019 23:47
  • Keywords: Japanese dessert yokan red bean paste Dylan's Candy Bar Bill Yosses
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA001B4OH93T
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A two-day exhibit dedicated to yokan, a Japanese confectionery made out of adzuki beans, sugar and agar, a gelatin like product extracted from seaweed, popped up in New York on Friday (November 8).
    Yokan, which originated from China about 700 years ago, got a modern makeover with an American twist at the Yokan Collection exhibit, sponsored by the Japanese government.
    Managing director Mitsuharu Kurokawa of Toraya Confectionery Co., founded in the early 16th century, wanted to promote the sweet bean jelly in the U.S. and equated its potential rise in popularity to sushi.
    "Sushi, it's very famous right now, but 20, 30 years ago it was not as famous," Kurokawa said. "The reason why sushi became famous was because of say, the California roll, that's something invented in the United States. And that made it very famous in the world. By teaming up with Dylan's Candy Bar and Bill Yosses, we can do something that we cannot do in Japan."
    Kurokawa is an 18th generation heir to his company.
    Dylan Lauren of Dylan's Candy Bar and former White House pastry chef Bill Yosses turned the traditional sweet bean jelly dessert into yokan pops, made out of white bean paste, pureed chestnut, covered in chocolate and coated with crispy quinoa.
    "There are plenty of people who love this sweet from other parts of the world, including myself, so why not spread the sweetness?" Lauren said.
    Fourteen renown Japanese businesses who specialize in making yokan will be at the exhibit through Saturday (November 9).
    (Production by Hussein Al Waaile and Roselle Chen)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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