Description

Red beans have a long drawn history of cultivation of 2000 years in eastern Asia. it was chiefly cultivated in the region of Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea. Although its origin is not specified, but it is been said that the center of its origin in eastern Asia is said to be in China on the banks of the Yangtse River. It is best cultivated in the northern hemisphere temperate climate, with tolerance to conditions like drought, but cannot tolerate water-logged soils, rather it has been successfully cultivated in soils like silt loams and sandy soils. In general, it has a similar growing condition to that of soybean. They are small red beans with a unique white ridge along one side, they usually have a nutty flavour, which makes them sync with both savoury and sweet dishes. They are often confused with kidney beans. These beans are often used for sweetened culinary applications in Asian regions like it is brought into use for the preparation of natto in Japan. These red beans are sweet rather than being savoury. The different varieties of red beans are Takara, Minoka, Hikari, Erimo, Dainagon, and Bloodwood. They are generally harvested in mid-September.

Health benefits

• Red beans contain important minerals like zinc, copper, and magnesium that helps in building strong bones, thereby cutting upon the chance of the early onset of bone deterioration called osteoporosis.⁽¹⁾
• As red beans have a high content of folic acid and vitamin B, hence they prevent the development of birth defects in unborn babies.⁽¹⁾
• According to researchers, red beans lowers blood pressure and triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein thereby reduces the chance of heart disease.⁽²⁾
• Red beans lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, this is because it is rich in fibre that helps in improving insulin sensitivity and reduces the probability of a spike in blood sugar after meals.⁽²⁾