Azuki bean

The azuki bean is an annual vine, Vigna angularis, widely grown throughout East Asia and the Himalayas for its small (approximately five mm) bean.

The cultivars most familiar in Northeast Asia have a uniform red color but white, black, gray and variously mottled varieties are also known.

Scientists presume Vigna angularis var. nipponensis is the progenitor.

Genetic evidence indicates that the azuki bean was first domesticated in East Asia and later crossbred with native species in Himalayas.

The bean was first unearthed at Awazu-kotei Ruin of Japanese mid Jomon period in 4000BC

Some Koreans insist that it was first cultivated on the Korean peninsula before 1000 BC and later taken to Japan, where it is now the second most popular legume after the soybean.

In East Asian cuisine, the azuki bean is commonly eaten sweetened.

In particular, it is often boiled with sugar, resulting in red bean paste, a very common ingredient in all of these cuisines.

Red bean paste is used in many Chinese foods, such as tangyuan, zongzi, moon-cakes, baozi and red bean ice and Japanese sweets like anpan, dorayaki, imagawayaki, manj, monaka, anmitsu, taiyaki and daifuku.

Azuki beans boiled with sugar and a pinch of salt, produces a sweet dish called red bean soup.

They are also commonly eaten sprouted, or boiled in a hot, tea-like drink.

Some Asian cultures enjoy red bean paste as a filling or topping for various kinds of waffles, pastries, baked buns or biscuits.

Azuki beans are a good source for a variety of minerals, providing iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and folic acid.

Source: Wikipedia.org