Adzuki Beans

Also known asAzuki · Aduki · Red Bean · Vigna angularis · 红豆 · 小豆

Name: Adzuki beans, also spelled azuki or aduki (Vigna angularis) — small, deep red, oval beans with a thin white ridge along one side, with a sweet, nutty, earthy flavour. They are common in East Asian cooking, especially in sweets.

Description

Adzuki beans were domesticated in East Asia, probably China or Japan, thousands of years ago, and are a staple legume across Japan, Korea and China. Japan grows large amounts, in Hokkaido, and the beans have a traditional role in celebrations: red is considered a lucky colour, and red bean rice (sekihan) is served at festive occasions.

The beans are cooked and sweetened into a thick paste called anko in Japan (pat in Korea, hongdou in China), which fills sweets such as dorayaki, taiyaki, mochi, buns and ice cream. They are less starchy than many beans and cook faster, with a softer, slightly sandy texture.

Main nutrition value

Adzuki beans are a good source of plant protein, fibre, folate, potassium, magnesium and iron, and are low in fat.

How best to be consumed

Adzuki beans are cooked from dry, and often sweetened.

1. Soak dried beans in plenty of water for 8 to 12 hours, then drain and rinse, which shortens cooking time and reduces gas.
2. Simmer for 45 to 60 minutes until soft, without salt at first, which can toughen the skins.
3. Cook with sugar into a paste for sweets, or into sweet red bean soup (hongdou tang).
4. Add to rice dishes, soups, stews and salads, or sprout them.
5. Choose unsweetened beans, and check canned sweetened paste for sugar.

Overconsumption could cause…

Adzuki beans are healthy in food amounts when cooked.

1. Digestive upset (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea) from raw or undercooked beans, which contain natural lectins that cooking destroys, so always boil dried beans thoroughly.
2. Bloating and gas from the fermentable carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) in beans, particularly if you are not used to eating them, so build up gradually and drink water.
3. Reduced absorption of iron, zinc and calcium from the phytates in dried beans, which soaking, sprouting and thorough cooking reduce.
4. A lot of added sugar when eaten mainly as sweet red bean paste and desserts.

GroupsBeansLegume familyHigh fibreHigh proteinLow fatLow sodiumRich in folateRich in ironRich in magnesiumRich in potassiumRich in zinc

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Wikipedia — Adzuki bean, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adzuki_bean