Have you been feeling hot and bothered lately? 

Or have trouble sleeping?

If the answer is yes, then this is the perfect Herbal Dessert for you.

In TCM,

Late summer days have always been the hottest and most humid season of the year. This is when our blood and fluids become less regulated and lead to irritability and insomnia. 

This is also the time when our gut becomes more vulnerable to the weather changes and people often experience stomach flu and gastritis. 

Luckily Adzuki Bean 红豆 Hóng Dòu is packed with vitamins and minerals and helps to nourish and improve circulation of blood, increase fluid metabolism and temperature regulation in the body in order to improve quality of sleep. 

It helps to lower LDL cholesterol levels and lowers blood pressure which lowers the risks for heart diseases. 

Adzuki beans are also rich in soluble fiber which are great for the gut microbiome.

The high antioxidant content of the beans may also reduce gut inflammation.

Additionally, studies show that Adzuki beans may increase the expression of genes that decrease hunger and increase feelings of fullness. 

Aged Tangerine Peel 陈皮 Chén Pí helps to break up the stagnation in the stomach to help aid digestion and relieve pain and bloating.

It helps to clear out dampness (turbid fluids) that accumulates in different parts of the body, helping to improve energy, lift brain fog and reduce nausea. 

It also removes other kinds of stagnation in the body, helping to regulate blood circulation and improve mood. 

You might be wondering, how is this related to Chinese New Year?

Adzuki bean soup is a popular dessert to enjoy with your family to celebrate Chinese New Year. It’s usually enjoyed as digestion aiding dessert after Chinese New Year’s Eve Dinner 年夜饭 Nián Yè Fàn, or enjoyed with Glutinous Rice Balls 汤圆 Tāng Yuán signifying family reunion.

Adzuki beans 红豆 Hóng Dòu represent all kinds of love. It has another poetic name Yearning beans 相思豆 Xiāng Sī Dòu.

So even if you aren’t able to celebrate Chinese New Year with all your loved ones, this will be a nice reminder that no matter where you are, you’ll always be thinking of them, and your love for them never fades. 

- Recipe -

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1hr and 20 min

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

• 150g of red bean

• 1.5L of water

• 1 big piece of aged tangerine peel

• Rock sugar to taste

Step 1

Wash and soak red bean over night in the fridge.

Or alternatively stir fry on high heat without oil for 10 minutes before cooking, add 200ml of water in 3 intervals to prevent burning. (Only add more water once the beans have absorbed all the fluids)

This step is to reduce the cooking time and enhance the bean’s functions

Step 2

Soak tangerine peel for 10 minutes in cold water to rehydrate. 

Step 3

Add prepared red bean to boiling water with a pinch of salt, simmer on low-medium heat for 15 minutes

Step 4

Add aged tangerine peel and simmer for another 45 minutes.

Step 5

Once the beans are soft, add the desired amount rock sugar to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes and it’s ready.

There you go,

The sweet and refreshing Adzuki bean paired with a citrusy aroma forms this super delicious dessert soup.

Enjoy it warm as it is, or as a chilled beverage as the weather is getting warmer.

Tips: 

Adding salt to the red beans can help keep the structural integrity of the bean 

Only Add sugar after the red beans are soft, otherwise it’ll take much longer for the beans to soften and cook 

Soaking it over night reduces the cooking time and helps to bring out the nutrients from the red beans, however the texture of the beans are much softer. 

Stir frying it can help hold the bean together and end up with a chewy texture. 

*You can find all the ingredients in the Asian groceries in your local area.

*As always, speak to me or your TCM doctor before performing any self-treatments if you have any concerns.

Sources:

Cho, Young-Gyu et al. “Effect of a Herbal Extract Powder (YY-312) from Imperata Cylindrica Beauvois, Citrus Unshiu Markovich, and Evodia Officinalis Dode on Body Fat Mass in Overweight Adults: A 12-Week, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Clinical Trial.” BMC complementary and alternative medicine 17.1 (2017): 375–375. Web.

Kitano-Okada, Tomoko et al. “Safety and Efficacy of Adzuki Bean Extract in Subjects with Moderate to High LDL-C: a Randomized Trial.” Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry 83.5 (2019): 933–941. Web.

Yang, Shou-zhong. The Divine Farmer’s Material Medica : a Translation of the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing by Yang Shou-Zhong . First edition. Boulder, CO: Blue Poppy Press, Inc., 1998. Print.

Zhao, Qingyu et al. “Adzuki Bean Alleviates Obesity and Insulin Resistance Induced by a High-Fat Diet and Modulates Gut Microbiota in Mice.” Nutrients 13.9 (2021): 3240–. Web.