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.
Names
The name azuki (also adzuki) is a transliteration of the Japanese 小豆, meaning "small bean"" (its counterpart "large bean" (大豆
daizu) being the soybean).
In Chinese, the azuki is known as 红小豆
(hóng xiǎoḍu, lit. "red small bean"), or more commonly 红豆 (hóngḍu, lit. "red bean"), because
almost all Chinese cultivars are uniformly red. In English-language discussions of Chinese topics, the term red bean is
often used for azuki (especially in reference to red bean paste), but
in other contexts this usage can cause confusion with other beans which are also
red.
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.
In Japan, rice with azuki beans (赤飯 sekihan) is traditionally
cooked for auspicious occasions, such as New Year. Azuki beans are also used to
produce amanattō.
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