[Sca-cooks] Red bean paste

[Susan Fox-Davis]

Philippa Alderton wrote:

> Last night, Margali and Rob and I went out to a rather
> nice Vietnamese restaurant, and after the meal,
> Margali tried a non-alcoholic drink for dessert. It
> was apparently Red Bean Paste, sugared and diluted, so
> it looked rather like a non carbonated cola, garnished
> with yellow beans and bright green gelatin tentacles.

This sounds wild.  I really must find some before my next science
fiction fan gathering.

> I was rather surprised- it tasted very nice, although
> it was too sweet for my tastes, but I was
> wondering.....
>
> I have heard Red Bean Paste is documentable in period,
> in Asia. Can anyone give me any references? And, does
> anyone have any documentation for a drink made of Red
> Bean Paste in period? I think I'd like to drink it
> more often, although I'd likely cut the sugar content
> considerably.

I love'em.  I've seen adzuki prepared as a pretty loose bean paste
served over rice but not as a beverage per se.  We find adzuki/azuki
beans cited in Nara and Heian periods in Japan [8th-12th Century] but I
believe it's native to Manchuria.  Here are some web pages:

An article on food colorants, PDF file:
http://www.ffcr.or.jp/zaidan/FFCRHOME.nsf/7bd44c20b0dc562649256502001b65e9/ea044c8f392c31d5492568a20029dd20/$FILE/174-8.pdf

Agricultural aspects:
http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/FISC/Alternatives/AdzukiBean.htm

Patpingsu, adzuki & ice, summer treat in Korea
http://www.hankooki.com/kt_special/200108/t2001081616233349110.htm

Best, Selene in Caid