Adzuki bean
Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & H.Ohashi
Adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) is a leguminous herb; its small yellow flowers yield pods with 4–7 glossy red-brown seeds; the seeds are cooked in sweet soup and porridge and used as a filling, and act as a diuretic in medicine.
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Adzuki bean — Product (bean ice cream)Adzuki bean — Plant
Adzuki bean — Plant (2)
Adzuki bean — Flower
Adzuki bean — Pods
Adzuki bean — SeedsAdzuki bean — Product (bean ice cream)Adzuki bean — PlantOverview
Adzuki bean (Vigna angularis), also called azuki bean, is an annual herb of the legume family (Fabaceae) domesticated in East Asia from the wild Vigna angularis var. nipponensis. It grows erect to trailing, 30–90 cm tall, with finely hairy stems. The leaves are trifoliate with ovate to rhombic leaflets, alternate; the small yellow flowers grow in clusters at the leaf axils. The fruit is a slightly curved cylindrical pod 5–8 cm long, hairy, containing 4–7 cylindrical to oval seeds with glossy red-brown coats. The seeds are rich in starch, protein, fibre and antioxidants; when cooked they soften and give the characteristic red colour. Adzuki is a familiar ingredient in East Asian cooking: in Vietnam it is cooked in sweet red-bean soup, porridge and as a pastry filling; in Japan it is made into sweet bean paste (anko) for wagashi. In traditional medicine the bean is regarded as a diuretic, detoxifying and anti-swelling remedy. The plant likes a warm climate and well-drained soil and has a short growing season of about 3–4 months.
Life cycle
From seed to productPlant
https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Vigna_angularis_var._nipponensis_13.JPG/1920px-Vigna_angularis_var._nipponensis_13.JPG
Flower
https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Vigna_angularis_var._nipponensis_2.JPG/1920px-Vigna_angularis_var._nipponensis_2.JPG
Pods
https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Vigna_angularis_fruit.jpg/1920px-Vigna_angularis_fruit.jpg
Seeds
https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Adzuki_beans_01.jpg/1920px-Adzuki_beans_01.jpg
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- East Asia (China, Japan, Korea)55%
- Southeast Asia15%
- South Asia10%
- North America10%
- Other regions10%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- Carbohydrates (starch)63%
- Protein20%
- Fibre7%
- Water5%
- Minerals & vitamins3%
- Fat2%
Uses
- Food: cooked in sweet soup, soup and porridge; used as mooncake and pastry filling, jam and noodles; in Japan made into sweet bean paste anko
- Medicine: in traditional medicine the bean is diuretic, detoxifying and anti-swelling; used for oedema and boils; the fibre is heart-friendly
- Other: bean sprouts used as a vegetable; ground into flour; seeds fed to birds and livestock
- Industry: anthocyanins extracted as a natural food colour; bean powder used in cosmetics
Properties
- Form
- Annual herb
- Flower
- Yellow, small
- Seed
- Glossy red-brown
- Nature & use
- Diuretic, detoxifying; cooked in sweets and fillings
Habitat & conservation
Adzuki bean was domesticated in East Asia (China, Japan, Korea) from the wild Vigna angularis var. nipponensis and later spread worldwide. It prefers a warm climate and loose, well-drained soil, is grown from seed, and has a short growing season of about 3–4 months. In Vietnam it is grown for its seeds, used in sweet soup and pastries, and is common in many provinces.
Conservation
A widely cultivated species worldwide, not yet assessed by IUCN (NE). Legume family (Fabaceae), genus Vigna.
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & H.Ohashi — Kew Science, 2026
- 2Adzuki bean — mô tả, trồng trọt, sử dụng — Wikipedia tiếng Anh, 2026
- 3Đậu đỏ — đặc điểm, công dụng — Wikipedia tiếng Việt, 2026
- 4赤豆 Vigna angularis — 形態、食用 — Wikipedia tiếng Trung, 2026
- 5Nguồn ảnh: Qwert1234 (CC BY-SA 4.0) / Dalgial (CC BY-SA 3.0) / 최옥석 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: 維基小霸王 (CC BY-SA 4.0) / Douglas Perkins (CC0) — Wikimedia Commons,