This is the Imuraya Azuki Bar Maruyaka, a frozen, dairy-free sweet azuki bean ice bar. Sold in Japan since 1973, it is known for its particularly firm texture and use of whole red beans.
The bar featured a rectangular shape with a rounded top, measuring approximately 10 × 5 × 2 cm. It had a pastel red-brown hue, studded with darker red segments. Aroma was indistinct.
Initial contact delivered an exceptionally dense and hard texture, making the bar very difficult to bite through straight from the freezer, a hallmark characteristic of the product. Once broken through, the azuki flavour came through immediately, with a rich, earthy red bean profile and mellow sweetness. The softer, lighter-red component melted quickly on the palate, developing a creamy red bean character from the starches in the beans rather than dairy, with a fine graininess. Through the mid-palate, the whole red beans, of which the bar contained only intact grains, provided a tender, soft and starchy chew that contrasted with the firm, icy surrounding texture. As the frozen portion melted towards the finish, a touch of salinity countered the sweetness, bringing the rich red bean flavour to a balanced conclusion and leaving a clean aftertaste.
Overall, a red bean ice bar with a rich, earthy flavour progression and a pronounced contrast between the firm frozen structure and tender whole beans, resulting in a dense yet balanced finish.
This Imuraya Azuki Bar Maruyaka contained 360 mL (60 mL x 6 bars). It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2026.