Cowpea seeds «Adzuki»

Adzuki bean azuki bean, aduki bean, red bean, or red mung bean / Vigna angularis - this is an annual bush plant, up to 0.5 meters high. Widely distributed in East Asia and the Himalayas. Cultivated in China, Korea and Japan. The flowers are lemon yellow, collected in short racemes. Pods hanging, hairless. Beans 5-6 mm in diameter with a uniform red color with a white scar.

Before sowing, it is necessary to soak the seeds for 2-3 days with a daily water change. The rest of the growing technique is no different from growing other legumes.

Written references to Adzuki beans are found in the ancient sacred books «Kojiki» and «Nyonshoki», which indicates the importance of this product in the life of the Japanese people. Adzuki was brought to Japan from China about 1,000 years ago and is now one of the most cultivated and most studied crops in Japan.

The views of scientists on the origin of this species differ. Some believe that Azuki exists only in a cultural form and the center of its origin is unknown. Others consider the Adzuki subspecies Vigna angularis var. to be the wild ancestor of this bean. nipponensis. It used to be placed in the genus Beans, but in 1970 Verdcourt proposed that plants such as Adzuki and mung be separated into a separate genus. The name "Azuki" is a transliteration of the Japanese name for beans.

Adzuki does not require pre-soaking. Adzuki has a sweetish «confectionery» aroma, pleasant delicate taste. In the east, it is mainly used to make sweets (anmitsu, taiyaki, daifuku), mixed in various proportions with sugar, water, starch, vegetable gums, etc. The most famous traditional sweet dish in Japan is wagashi, rice balls stuffed with bean pasta garnished with lightly salted sakura leaves.

Sweet adzuki paste is called «an», it is a universal filler for cakes, waffles, muffins, gingerbread. Other legumes besides Adzuki can be used to make this paste, but Adzuki en is the most beneficial option due to its rich red color, sweet aroma and characteristic grainy structure.

Bean paste is also widely used in Chinese cuisine - in tanguyang sweet dishes, zongzi, mooncakes, baozi, and even ice cream. Many Chinese restaurants serve «sweet red bean soup», which includes Adzuki boiled with sugar, lotus seeds, candied fruit. In Somalia, adzuki with butter and sugar is the base for the popular kambuulo dish. Adzuki is also sprouted and brewed to produce a hot tea-like drink.

Adzuki beans are one of the most popular legumes in Japan. Since it has a completely unique sweetish taste and aroma for legumes, in the East they prepare sweet red bean paste, pastry fillings, desserts, and sweet soups from it. In North America and Europe, adzuki is loved for its relatively short cooking time (it doesn't need to be soaked and takes about 40 minutes to cook). Adzuki can also be sprouted and used to make vitamin salads.