Adzuki Beans
By: Anonymous

About

A popular legume in many Asian countries, Adzuki beans are small, oval and usually dark red in color. These beans are most often used to make a sweet paste, but they are also used to make Japanese rice dishes and in a variety of other foods, including ice cream.

Information
Other names: asuki, hong xiao dou (Mandarin), Aduki Beans, Arabic لوبيا حمراء, Tiensin red, aduki, red oriental, chi dou (Mandarin), field pea, adsuki, Field Peas, feijao, Azuki Beans, azuki
Translations: Adzuki pupiņas, Adzuki Pupelės, Fasole Adzuki, Adzuki Grah, Adzuki Đậu, Adzuki Fasola, Adzuki Bonen, Adzuki बीन्स, Feijão Feijão, Фасоль адзуки, Φασόλια, Adzuki البقول, Adzuki 콩, Fazole adzuki, Adzuki beans, 红小豆, Fesols Adzuki, Adzuki Fižol, Fazuľa adzuki, Adzuki Fagioli, שעועית Adzuki, Adzukibönor, Адзуки Пасуљ, 小豆豆, Adzuki Bønner, Frijoles Adzuki, Квасоля адзукі, Adsukipavut, Вида Adzuki Фасул


Physical Description
A small, dried, russet-colored bean with a sweet flavor. Dry adzuki beans are small dark red, oval beans approximately 5 mm in diameter. They have a distinctive white ridge along one side. Adzuki beans are popular across Asia, particularly in Japan, and are used to make red sweet bean paste.
Colors: Russet red


Tasting Notes
Flavors: sweet,
Mouthfeel: Crunchy
Food complements: Ice cream, Rice, Sugar, Cakes
Wine complements: Sake, Plum wine, Red wine
Beverage complements: Milk


Selecting and Buying
Procuring: The Adzuki Bean is not found in the wild.
While vining beans are grown accross South Asia (China, India, Taiwan and Thailand), bush or erect plant types are grown in both Northern Japan and the upper Midwest.



Social/Political

History: The Adzuki Bean (Vigna angularis) has been grown in the Far East for centuries. Like the soybean, it most probably originated in China, and was introduced to Japan around 1000 AD. Today in Japan, Adzuki beans one of the largest crops, with annual consumption of over 120,000 Metric Tons.