Azuki bean



The Azuki is a small (approximately 5mm) annual bean (Vigna angularis, Fabaceae) widely grown throughout northeast Asia and the Himalayas. The cultivars most familiar in northeast Asia have a uniform red color, but white, black, gray and variously mottled varieties are also known.

Uses

In Chinese cuisine, Korean cuisine and Japanese cuisine, the azuki bean is almost always eaten moderately sweetened. In particular, it is often boiled with sugar, resulting in red bean paste, a very common ingredient of desserts in all three cuisines.