赤小豆 (chìxiǎodòu) · rice bean (Vigna umbellata)

Meanings

1 rice bean (Vigna umbellata)
2 adzuki bean; red bean

About the ingredient

A small dark red dried bean, slimmer and longer than the 红豆 it is often mistaken for. It is used mostly in Chinese medicine and medicinal soups, such as one with carp; Chinese food lore holds that it drains 'dampness'.

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

妈妈用赤小豆和薏米煮了一锅汤。

Māma yòng chìxiǎodòu hé yìmǐ zhǔ le yì guō tāng.

Mom made a pot of soup with red beans and Job's tears.

HSK 7-9

中医认为赤小豆能祛湿、消肿。

Zhōngyī rènwéi chìxiǎodòu néng qūshī, xiāozhǒng.

Chinese medicine holds that red beans clear dampness and reduce swelling.

Tips

usage

Everyday speech says 红豆. 赤小豆 is the name used in herbal medicine and on soup packs, and in shops it often means a slimmer, darker bean than the round one used for sweet red bean paste.