Adzuki is a Japanese bean vine that produces long pods with 6-8 small red beans inside. Harvest when pods have dried.
Scientific Name: Vigna angularis
Adzuki Bean is an ancient plant, wild forms of the plant originate from and have been grown in Japan for over 6000 years. Unique cultivated varieties of Adzuki Bean were first developed at least 4000 years ago, which is also around the same time that the plant was first spread to mainland China and Korea.
Culinary Uses
Adzuki beans can be used in many ways, including:
Popping: Can be popped similarly to popcorn
Traditionally boiled and sweetened to make red bean paste for use in desserts. Adzuki beans can also be eaten as a pulse in savory dishes or sprouted.
Red bean paste: A popular ingredient in Asian desserts like ice cream, shaved ice, dumplings, and mooncakes
Sprouting: Can be sprouted and used in stir-fries, soups, and other dishes
Adzuki Beans have a strong nutty flavour and are easier to digest than most other types of dried bean.
MEDICINAL USES
Adzuki Beans are a nutrient powerhouse, they are a rich source of the Vitamins B1, B5 and B9, as well as the minerals Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium and Zinc.
Traditional medicine: Used as a diuretic and to treat kidney diseases, beriberi, and other pregnancy and birth issues
Soil enrichment: Adzuki plants can be grown as a cover crop and green manure to enrich the soil
Adzuki Bean vines takes between 16 and 18 weeks to begin producing good quantities of beans. Harvest Adzuki Bean pods once they turn fully yellow and allow them to dry out completely in a sheltered location before shelling the beans from the pods.
