Ogura Toast

Anko, or sweet red bean paste, is traditionally stuffed into mochi, so it's no surprise that people started pairing it with bread as Western foods grew in popularity towards the end of the 19th century. Anpan was one of the first mashups where anko is stuffed into a round roll.

Ogura Toast is said to have been created by a cafe in Nagoya city in the early 1920s after the owner saw customers dipping their bread in zenzai (a sweet red bean soup). Today it's become a staple breakfast item served in cafes throughout the region, and it's become a dish that Nagoya is known for.

If you have some anko (I have a recipe here), it's as simple as toasting some good sandwich bread, melting some butter on it, and slathering the slice with a thick layer of red bean paste. With loads of fiber and protein, it's a lot more filling than jam on toast, and the nutty adzuki beans are delicious with a steaming mug of coffee or tea.