Adzuki bean. Small, red and shiny, slightly square beans with a white scar or hilum on the side. They are good in salads, mixed with other vegetables and also useful with other ingredients for stuffing because of their size. They are often used in sweet dishes as they have more natural sweetness than other beans. They are the basis of the red bean paste used in dim sum and of Japanese an, and are used a great deal in Chinese and Japanese cuisine, particularly for making sweet pastes. The flour is used in confections and puddings in China and Japan.
