A Monstrous Sweet Treatfrom a Little Red Bean

Here’s another childhood memory — sweet Red Bean Paste made from the Azuki bean. It’s sold in most Asian markets all year round, but usually it’s served during fall harvest festivals. Whole red beans are also candied and preserved. They taste similar to chestnut puree and pine nuts and the paste is as smooth as fine pumpkin filling. In Asian cuisine it’s used as a sweet spread or pastry filling in moon cakes and mochi balls. Red Bean ice cream is one of my favorite flavors, especially when it's topped with candied yam.

Koreans stuff Red Bean Paste into buckwheat pancake (pul-bang) as a traditional sweet dumpling. I like it with cream cheese on toasted bagels at breakfast, I bet these would be even better on waffles — very gaijin-gwai. If you make your own ice cream try this as a new flavor. It’s easy to make… and even easier with a blender.

To learn how to make Red Bean Paste and more... visit GardenFork.tv.

The purrrfect puree: Phillip the cat advises me on blender safety.