Jianping Red Adzuki Beans

Jianping Red Adzuki Beans

Jianping Red Adzuki Beans are a protected geographical indication product.

　　Jianping Red Adzuki Beans are plump, glossy, and brightly colored, with a sweet taste and high bean paste content. Locally, they are praised as the "red gem." These beans have a neutral nature and sweet flavor, and are particularly effective in eliminating dampness, reducing swelling, promoting urination, and detoxifying. They are rich in folic acid, which is highly beneficial for new mothers. Additionally, their high dietary fiber content aids in improving bowel movements, lowering blood lipids, regulating blood sugar, and supporting weight loss and fitness.

　　Located in western Liaoning Province, Jianping County sits on the transition zone between the Mongolian Plateau and the Songliao Plain. The area features undulating hills, with terrain that is higher in the north and lower in the south. The Nulu'erhu Mountain Range runs from east to southwest across the county. It has a warm temperate, semi-humid to semi-arid continental monsoon climate. The county ranks among the top in the province in per capita arable land, boasts abundant resources, and enjoys a superior ecological environment. As early as the late Paleolithic Age, ancestors began to settle and thrive here. The famous Hongshan Culture site "Niuheliang" is located at the border of Jianping and Lingyuan. This region is known as the "Home of Red Adzuki Beans in Liaoning," with a history of red adzuki bean cultivation spanning over a thousand years.

　　Historical records indicate that Jianping Red Adzuki Beans have been extensively cultivated since the Liao Dynasty. After the "Chanyuan Treaty," the Song and Khitan maintained peaceful relations for over 80 years, treating each other as brother states with continuous diplomatic exchanges. Renowned Song officials such as Ouyang Xiu and Su Zhe were sent as envoys to the northern frontier, where they documented their experiences and left behind many famous poems. In August of the fourth year of Yuanyou during the reign of Emperor Zhezong of Song (1089 AD), the poet Su Zhe, who was then serving as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, not only completed his diplomatic mission but also took in the magnificent landscapes of the frontier. He visited Huizhou, north of Jianping County. One of the poems in his series "Twenty-Eight Poems on a Mission to the Khitan," titled "Huizhou," reads: "In winter, the Khitan tents dwell in the sandy dunes, / Where sheep are herded and reeds woven into makeshift palaces. / Officials scatter like stars, lodging by burial mounds, / While felt yurts brave the frosty winds. / How can red beans boiled in snow bring satiety? / Hunting rabbits and deer is their boast of strength. /" This poem shows that Huizhou in Jianping was a notable frontier city at the time and also attests to the long history of red adzuki bean cultivation. Over the following centuries, Jianping Red Adzuki Beans remained highly favored. Especially after the reform and opening-up, this specialty product gradually made its way out of the northeast and into major and small cities across the country. In 1997, when a then member of the Politburo Standing Committee and Premier of China visited Liaoning for an inspection, he went to Zhuluke Town in Jianping County to observe the cultivation of coarse grains by local farmers. With rising living standards and growing health awareness, the demand for red adzuki beans has continued to increase, and their comparative benefits over other grain crops have become increasingly evident.

　　Jianping Red Adzuki Beans can be prepared in a variety of ways. They can be steamed or boiled with polished rice to make congee, ground into red bean paste as a filling for various pastries and noodles, or added to soups to create unique and nourishing flavors. Incorporating them into your diet not only adds variety but also contributes to better health.

　　In the regions north of Jianping County, such as Huizhou, Heishui, Laojianping, Yangshuling, and Zhuluke, there is a traditional custom. Starting from the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, preparations for the New Year begin. People slaughter pigs and sheep and get ready for the festivities. Among the New Year essentials, red adzuki beans are indispensable. Adding red adzuki beans and red dates to Laba porridge creates a beloved treat. From the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, people start making glutinous millet flour cakes. Yellow millet mixed with cowpeas is steamed into New Year cakes.

　　Yellow millet mixed with red adzuki beans is steamed into sweet bean buns, saved for the Little New Year and the first lunar month. On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the Little New Year is celebrated. In rural areas, it is customary to see off the Kitchen God. Every household places offerings in front of the stove to send the Kitchen God back to heaven to report on the joys and hardships of the human world. Typical offerings include cowpea cakes, red adzuki bean buns, kitchen candy (melon candy), and a bowl of millet congee. At dusk, firecrackers are set off to send the Kitchen God on his way with the offerings to heaven, hoping he will speak kindly of the family to the Jade Emperor. Millet congee symbolizes a bountiful harvest and prosperity. Kitchen candy (melon candy) represents a sweet and happy life. Red adzuki bean buns signify a thriving and joyful household. Cowpea cakes symbolize good health and annual advancement. When it comes to choosing the best red adzuki beans, locals usually opt for those from Laojianping, Yangshuling, and Zhuluke, as these beans are of premium quality, taste great, and are loved by all ages. Since Laojianping was once a major town and the former county seat of Jianping, people commonly refer to these beans as Jianping Red Adzuki Beans.

　　The production area of Jianping Red Adzuki Beans covers the entire administrative region of current Jianping County, Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province.