Vigna angularis
(Willd.) Ohwi & Ohashi
Adzuki bean, Haricot adzuki
(c) hakkahamushi, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by hakkahamushi
(c) Daniel dos Santos Gomes, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
(c) 岸本年郎, some rights reserved (CC BY)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Pods, Seeds, Vegetable
The mature dried seeds are boiled and used in a wide variety of dishes. They can also be popped much like popcorn, or ground into a meal for use in soups, cakes, and confections. Seeds are frequently sprouted and eaten raw or cooked. The cylindrical pods measure 6–12cm long and contain 6–14 seeds; tender young pods are cooked as a vegetable, with pods reaching up to 10cm in length. The roasted seed can also serve as a coffee substitute.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. They cannot stand frost but can tolerate some cold. They are short day plants forming flowers and pods when daylengths or hours of sunlight are getting shorter.
Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Canada, Central Africa, Chile, China, Congo DR, Cuba, East Africa, Georgia, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Madagascar, Malaysia, Manchuria, Nepal, New Zealand, North America, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, Serbia, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Tasmania, Timor-Leste, USA, Vietnam, West Indies,
How to Identify
An erect bushy bean plant. They are plants which re-grow from seed each year. Plants grow up to 60 cm tall. The flowers occur as clusters of bright yellow flowers. The fruit are pods 6-12 cm long. These contain up to 12 small oblong seeds. These can vary between red, brown and black. They are 0.5 cm long. There are several named cultivated varieties.
Nutrition Score: 62/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeds dry | 10.8 | 1780 | 426 | 19.9 | — | — | 9.8 | — |
| Whole bean | 69.6 | 396 | 95 | 6.6 | — | 0 | 2.5 | 1 |
How to Grow
Seed can be pre-germinated on wet paper to get it growing more quickly. The soil temperature needs to be above 15°C. A spacing of 15 cm is suitable.
Propagation: Pre-soak seed for 12 hours in warm water and sow in situ. Soil temperatures above 16°C are required for germination.
Medicinal Uses
The beans are used to treat kidney trouble, constipation, abscesses, certain tumours, threatened miscarriage, retained placenta, and non-secretion of milk. Seed sprouts are used to treat threatened abortion caused by injury. The leaves are said to lower fevers.
Other Uses
The plant can be grown as a green manure and to help prevent soil erosion. A flour made from the beans is used in the production of shampoos and facial creams.
Wikipedia
A fast-growing annual legume reaching 0.8 m (2ft 7in) tall and 0.2 m (0ft 8in) wide, hardy to UK zone 10. Bee-pollinated and nitrogen-fixing, it grows in light, medium, or heavy soils with good drainage. Tolerant of mildly acidic, neutral, and very acidic soils, it thrives in semi-shade or full sun and adapts to both dry and moist conditions, resisting drought.
Production
For green pods, these should be picked regularly. For dry beans, plants can be allowed to go to maturity, then pulled up and dried.
Other Information
It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. Important in Japan and China.
Notes
Seeds are about 25% protein. There are about 150 Vigna species. They are mostly in the tropics.
Names & Synonyms
Adzukibohne, Azuki, Chi dou, Chinese red bean, Fagiolo adzuki, Feijao adzuki, Frijol adzuki, Guruns, Haricot anguleux, Hong xiao dou, Pat, Sak'adrisa
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