Red Robe Adzuki Beans

Red Robe Adzuki Beans

　　A local specialty of this county, these beans are intercropped with corn without requiring additional land and can be harvested in succession. Red Robe Adzuki Beans are large in size, deep red to purple in color, with thin skins, fine texture, and are quick to soften. They are an important ingredient used by various food manufacturers and shops in Shanghai for making distinctive treats such as adzuki bean popsicles, lard-filled red bean paste glutinous rice balls, red bean zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), and red bean cakes. These beans are highly nutritious, especially rich in triterpenoid saponins and niacin, and have good therapeutic effects for sufferers of pellagra. They are also abundant in iron, which helps replenish blood, and are used in traditional Chinese medicine for their diuretic, anti-swelling, detoxifying, and pain-relieving properties.