Azuki Beans

Posted on 12. Jan, 2010 by grace in Chinese, Ingredients, Japanese, Korean

Azuki beans or Adzuki beans, also known as red beans, are small, dried, reddish-brown beans with a sweet flavor. They are commonly eaten sprouted or boiled in a hot, tea-like drink, and are also used as a popular flavor of ice cream. These beans are usually boiled and mashed, then sweetened with sugar or honey to prepare red bean paste. While the paste is commonly used in many Chinese foods such as zongzi and mooncakes, it is also profusely used in Korean cuisine and as a filling for Japanese sweets such as anmitsu and taiyaki. Azuki beans boiled with sugar, lotus seeds and orange peel produces a popular sweet dish called red bean soup. These beans can be purchased at Asian markets.