Adzuki bean

For other things called "Azuki", see Azuki (disambiguation).

Azuki bean
Adzuki beans
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Genus:	Vigna
Species:	V. angularis
Binomial name
Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & H. Ohashi

The adzuki bean (Vigna angularis; from the Japanese アズキ（小豆） (azuki), sometimes transliterated as azuki or aduki) is an annual vine widely grown throughout East Asia and the Himalayas for its small (approximately 5 mm) bean. The cultivars most familiar in Northeast Asia have a uniform red colour, however, white, black, gray, and variously mottled varieties also are known. Scientists presume Vigna angularis var. nipponensis is the progenitor.

History

Genetic evidence indicates that the adzuki bean first became cultivated in East Asia and later crossbred with native species in the Himalayas. The earliest known archaeological evidence of the bean comes from the Awazu-kotei Ruin (Shiga prefecture) of the Japanese mid-Jōmon period of 4000 BCE, and later occurs commonly in many Jomon sites of between 4000 BCE and 2000 BCE in Japan. The analysis of the unearthed beans indicates that it first was cultivated in Japan during the period from 4000 BCE to 2000 BCE. In China and Korea, specimens from ruins date from 3000 BCE to 1000 BCE, and these are thought to be cultivated ones.

Names

Adzuki beans, cooked, no salt

Nutritional value per 1 Cup 230 g
Energy	1,233 kJ (295 kcal)
Carbohydrates	56.97 g
Dietary fiber	16.8 g
Fat	0.23 g
Protein	17.3 g
Vitamins and minerals Vitamins Quantity %DV† Thiamine (B1) 22% 0.264 mg Riboflavin (B2) 11% 0.147 mg Niacin (B3) 10% 1.649 mg Pantothenic acid (B5) 20% 0.989 mg Vitamin B6 13% 0.221 mg Folate (B9) 70% 278 μg Minerals Quantity %DV† Calcium 5% 64 mg Iron 26% 4.6 mg Magnesium 29% 120 mg Phosphorus 31% 386 mg Potassium 41% 1224 mg Sodium 1% 18 mg Zinc 37% 4.07 mg
Link to USDA Database entry
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.

Yōkan (羊羹) is a thick Japanese jellied dessert made of adzuki bean paste, agar, and sugar

The name adzuki is a transliteration of the native Japanese name. Japanese also has a Chinese loanword, shōzu (小豆), which means "small bean", its counterpart "large bean" (大豆, daizu) being the soybean. It is common to write 小豆 in kanji but pronounce it as azuki , an example of ateji.

In China, the corresponding name (Chinese: 小豆; pinyin: xiǎodòu) still is used in botanical or agricultural parlance, however, in everyday Chinese, the more common terms are hongdou (紅豆; hóngdòu) and chidou (赤豆; chìdòu), both meaning "red bean", because almost all Chinese cultivars are uniformly red. In English-language discussions of Chinese topics, the term "red bean" often is used (especially in reference to red bean paste), but in other contexts this usage may cause confusion with other beans that also are red. In normal contexts, "red cowpeas" have been used to refer to this bean.

The Korean name is pat (hangul: 팥), and in Vietnamese it is called đậu đỏ (literally: red bean). In some parts of India, they are referred to as "Red Chori". In Punjabi it is called "ravaa'n" and is a common ingredient of chaat. In Marathi, it is known as Lal Chavali (लाल चवळी)- literally meaning 'red cowpea'.

Uses

Main article: Red bean paste

Bag of traditional Somali cambuulo (adzuki beans), a staple of Somalian cuisine

In East Asian cuisine, the adzuki bean is commonly sweetened before eating. In particular, it often is boiled with sugar, resulting in red bean paste (an), a very common ingredient in all of these cuisines. It also is common to add flavoring to the bean paste, such as chestnut.

Matcha muffin with sweetened adzuki beans

Red bean paste is used in many Chinese dishes, such as tangyuan, zongzi, mooncakes, baozi, and red bean ice. It also serves as a filling in Japanese sweets such as anpan, dorayaki, imagawayaki, manjū, monaka, anmitsu, taiyaki, and daifuku. A more liquid version, using adzuki beans boiled with sugar and a pinch of salt, produces a sweet dish called red bean soup. Adzuki beans commonly are 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.

Traditionally in Japan, rice with adzuki beans (赤飯; sekihan) is cooked for auspicious occasions. Adzuki beans also are used to produce amanattō, and as a popular flavour of ice cream either paste, or whole bean such as the 'Cream & Red Bean' product produced by IMEI.

On October 20, 2009, Pepsi Japan released an adzuki-flavored Pepsi product.

Adzuki beans, along with butter and sugar, form the basis of the popular Somali supper dish cambuulo.

In Gujarat, India, they are known as chori.

In Malaysia and Singapore, red beans are a major component of the dessert Ais kacang.

Nutritional information

Adzuki beans display phototropism

Adzuki beans are a good source for a variety of minerals, with 1 cup of cooked beans providing 4.6 mg of iron (~25% RDI), 119.6 mg of magnesium (~30% RDI), 1.223 g of potassium (~25 % AI), 4.0 mg of zinc (~25% RDI), and 278 µg of folic acid (~70% RDI).

See also

• Black-eyed pea
• Camargue red rice
• Kidney beans
• Red bean paste
• Sekihan

External links

• Illustrated Plant Genetic Resources Database
• Alternative Field Crop Manual
• " Multilingual taxonomic information". University of Melbourne.