red bean soup

[Brian Christiansen]

I was wondering something that is not really anime related, except
perhaps in that "red bean soup" is Japanese, and where I first heard
about it was in anime.

Well anyway, I tried making some. It is a relatively simple recipe
where 2 cups of adzuki beans are soaked, cooked, pureed, and some sugar
is then cooked in to it.

I perhaps should have only made a half recipe, because I don't really
like it, at least not this recipe. Although adzuki beans do not taste
exactly like pinto beans, I think it tastes like "sweetened refried
beans." Although I like refried beans, I just do not like them
sweetened up and made into a dessert.

I figure I can do 1 of 2 things. The first is to just throw it out,
because I guarantee that I will not be eating it as it is.

The 2nd is to add some meat (either stew meat or cut up chicken), a jar
of salsa, some spices such as garlic, oregano, and chili powder to cut
the sweetness a bit, and some crumbled tortilla chips if necessary, and
make a sort of chili. Then perhaps take some tortillas and make some
adzuki-bean burritos with a hint of sweetness in the background.

If I try to salvage it as a dessert, and add some vanilla, orange zest,
etc., it will still have that "basic bean flavor" that I just don't like
in a sweet dish.

[Bobbie Sellers]

Post by Brian Christiansen
I was wondering something that is not really anime related, except
perhaps in that "red bean soup" is Japanese, and where I first heard
about it was in anime.
Well anyway, I tried making some.  It is a relatively simple recipe
where 2 cups of adzuki beans are soaked, cooked, pureed, and some sugar
is then cooked in to it.
I perhaps should have only made a half recipe, because I don't really
like it, at least not this recipe.  Although adzuki beans do not taste
exactly like pinto beans, I think it tastes like "sweetened refried
beans."  Although I like refried beans, I just do not like them
sweetened up and made into a dessert.
I figure I can do 1 of 2 things.  The first is to just throw it out,
because I guarantee that I will not be eating it as it is.
The 2nd is to add some meat (either stew meat or cut up chicken), a jar
of salsa, some spices such as garlic, oregano, and chili powder to cut
the sweetness a bit, and some crumbled tortilla chips if necessary, and
make a sort of chili.  Then perhaps take some tortillas and make some
adzuki-bean burritos with a hint of sweetness in the background.
If I try to salvage it as a dessert, and add some vanilla, orange zest,
etc., it will still have that "basic bean flavor" that I just don't like
in a sweet dish.

Or you could cook it further reducing it to red bean jam and find some
mochi wrappers or plain buns which it could be used to fill.
I like red bean jam as described but generally find the commercial
products from Japan over-sweetened. I made some of my own a few
years back and it tasted incredibly fresh with half the sugar.

But it works best with mochi or buns or the fabled waffled
gold fish as filling.

bliss