Adzuki beans (red beans)

팥 pat · 小豆 azuki · 红豆 hóngdòu

Flavor and role

Small red beans with gentle sweetness and nuttiness; in East Asia they are mostly simmered with sugar into bean paste.

Typical dishes and uses

Patjuk (red bean porridge), patbingsu, red bean paste for danpatppang and bungeoppang, Japanese ohagi and sekihan

Substitutes

Hard to replace. Store-bought red bean paste (chunky or smooth) is convenient.

Storage

Dried adzuki beans keep 1 year at room temperature. They need no soaking; discard the first boiling water (to remove astringency) and boil again. Bean paste freezes for 3 months.

Main countries

Japan · Korea · China

Used in this book

Matcha Basque Cheesecake with Sweet Red BeanMatcha Crème Brûlée with Sweet Red BeanButtermilk Dorayaki with Sweet Red Bean and ButterJapanese Matcha Tiramisu with Sweet Red Bean

Updated 2026-10-10