Sweet adzuki bean paste gives a more solid base for you to build intricate lattice patterns into your pastry dough. | SIMON DALY

In Japan, there are some foods for which no Western analog exists. One of them is the perennially popular anko (adzuki bean paste).

Before sugar became a common foodstuff in Japan during the Edo Period (1603-1867), naturally sweet ingredients like adzuki beans were used to give a saccharine feel to desserts such as dorayaki (anko-filled sweet pancakes) and taiyaki (anko-filled, fish-shaped cakes) . To this day, even when I don't have time to make crumpets, anko with butter has become one of my go-to toast toppings.

For spring and summer parties, it helps to have a dessert that travels well. Tarts and pies often crumble or collapse because of their fragile crusts and delicate fillings.…