Hebei Red Adzuki Beans

Hebei Red Adzuki Beans

　　Red adzuki beans, also known as red beans or small red beans, are rich in starch, which is why they are often called “rice beans.” These beans are packed with nutrients — per 100 grams, they contain 21.7 grams of protein, 0.8 grams of fat, 60.7 grams of carbohydrates, 76 milligrams of calcium, 386 milligrams of phosphorus, 4.5 milligrams of iron, 0.43 milligrams of thiamine, 0.16 milligrams of riboflavin, and 2.1 milligrams of niacin. The protein in red adzuki beans is high in lysine, making them ideal when mixed with grains to make bean rice or congee. They are commonly used to make red bean paste or as an ingredient in pastries. Li Shizhen referred to red adzuki beans as the “grain of the heart,” noting their benefits in “promoting body fluids, improving urination, relieving bloating and swelling, reducing vomiting,” as well as treating “diarrhea, detoxifying alcohol, alleviating cold and heat pains and swellings, discharging pus and dispersing blood, and promoting lactation…”

　　Red adzuki beans are not only a delicious food but also a powerful remedy in traditional medicine. The “Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica” states that they “treat edema and discharge pus and blood from abscesses.” The “Materia Medica on Herbal Properties” says they can “treat heat toxins and disperse stagnant blood.” The “Compendium of Materia Medica” records that red adzuki beans are “sweet in taste, neutral in nature, non-toxic, reduce edema, discharge pus and blood from abscesses, treat cold and heat conditions, stop diarrhea, promote urination, treat heat toxins, disperse stagnant blood, relieve irritability and fullness, and strengthen the spleen and stomach…” Medical practitioners have found through clinical practice that they have special efficacy against abscesses. For example, the “Zhu’s Collected Effective Prescriptions” states: “This medicine treats all types of carbuncles, sores, scabies, and red swellings, regardless of severity — just mix with water and apply it topically, and it will surely cure the condition.” Modern medicine has also discovered that red adzuki beans have a significant inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri, and Salmonella typhi.

　　Red adzuki beans hold the highest economic value among grains and legumes, earning them the nickname “golden beans.” They have a high export exchange rate and are in high demand in the international market.