Red bean rice, called ''patbap'' () in
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
* ...
, ''sekihan'' () in
Japanese, and ''hóngdòu fàn'' () in
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of v ...
, is an East Asian rice dish consisting of
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domesticate ...
cooked with
red bean
Red bean is a common name for several plants and may refer to:
* Adzuki bean (''Vigna angularis''), commonly used in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cuisine, particularly as red bean paste
* Kidney bean, red variety of ''Phaseolus vulgaris
''P ...
s.
East Asian varieties
China
Hóngdòu fàn (红豆饭) is a traditional Chinese dish found in some regions of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
. It is particularly common in
Jiangsu province
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...
and eaten during the
Winter Clothes Day. A legend from the Dafeng area of
Yancheng
Yancheng () is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. As the city with the largest jurisdictional area in Jiangsu, Yancheng borders Lianyungang to the north, Huai'an to the west, Yangzhou and Ta ...
, Jiangsu says that people eat a bowl of
glutinous rice
Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amy ...
mixed with
red beans on the Winter Clothes Day in Jiangsu to commemorate a shepherd boy who was slain by a
landlord.
[《图解民俗大全-精编美绘版》(2012-5-1)."关心先人的送寒衣"( P230---P23]
Accessed 20 Dec. 2016 It is said that a long time ago, an adorable shepherd boy was born into a poor family. His parents could not support him, so he made a living by shepherding for a landlord.
[《节气时令吃什么》(2013-11-01)."十月初一——寒衣"( P18]
Accessed 20 Dec. 2016 One day, his carelessness in tending to the sheep resulted in those sheep falling into a valley and dying. After hearing the news, the landlord was extremely angry. Consequently, he beat and scolded the shepherd boy. The shepherd boy begged for the landlord to stop the relentless beating but he did not.
When the shepherd boy believed that he would die from the beatings, he fought against the landlord, but the landlord picked up a knife next to him and killed the boy. The blood of the shepherd boy stained the glutinous rice on the ground red. Coincidentally, that day was the 1st of October.
In 2015, red bean rice was served to
Prime Minister of India
The prime minister of India (IAST: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and their chosen Council of Ministers, despite the president of India being the nominal head of the ...
,
Narendra Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...
at a state banquet with
General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party
The general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party () is the head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Since 1989, the CCP general secretary has been the paramount leader o ...
,
Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping ( ; ; ; born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and thus as the paramount leader of China, si ...
in
Xi'an,
Shaanxi province
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), Ningxi ...
.
Japan
''Sekihan'' (, , rice boiled together with red beans) is a Japanese traditional dish. It is
sticky rice
Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylos ...
steamed with
adzuki bean
''Vigna angularis'', also known as the adzuki bean , azuki bean, aduki bean, red bean, or red mung bean, is an annual vine widely cultivated throughout East Asia for its small (approximately long) bean. The cultivars most familiar in East Asia ...
s, which give a reddish color to the rice, hence its name.
The rice of ancient times of Japan was red. Therefore, red rice was used in Shinto . Red rice has a strong taste of
tannin
Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.
The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'', ...
, and its cultivation has been almost completely abandoned. The present sekihan is colored red using adzuki.
Sekihan is often served on special occasions throughout the year in Japan, for example, birthdays, weddings and some holidays, such as
Shichi-Go-San
is a traditional Japanese rite of passage and festival day for three- and seven-year-old girls, five-year-old and sometimes three-year-old boys, held annually on November 15 to celebrate the growth and well-being of young children. As it is n ...
.
In some places it is customarily made when a young woman reaches
menarche
Menarche ( ; ) is the first menstrual cycle, or first menstrual bleeding, in female humans. From both social and medical perspectives, it is often considered the central event of female puberty, as it signals the possibility of fertility.
G ...
, although this is less common now than it was in the past.
Sekihan is so strongly connected with celebrations that the phrase "Let's have sekihan" has acquired the meaning "Let's celebrate." It is believed that sekihan is used for celebrations because of its red color, symbolizing happiness in Japan.
It is usually eaten immediately after cooking but it may also be eaten at room temperature, as in a celebratory
bento
A is the Japanese iteration of a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal, often for lunch. Outside Japan, it is common in other East and Southeast Asian culinary styles, especially within Chinese, Korean, Singaporean cuisines and more, as ...
(boxed lunch). Sekihan is traditionally eaten with
gomashio (a mixture of lightly toasted
sesame
Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is c ...
and
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantiti ...
).
There are also regional varieties of sekihan. Some versions call for sugar instead of salt to give a sweet flavor. Others use
amanattō (sweetened bean confectionery) instead of adzuki. Many people also use ''sasage(ササゲ,''
black cowpea beans) instead of adzuki bean.
Korea
''Patbap'' (, , ) is a ''
bap'' (cooked grain dish) made with non-
glutinous white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
short-grain rice and
adzuki bean
''Vigna angularis'', also known as the adzuki bean , azuki bean, aduki bean, red bean, or red mung bean, is an annual vine widely cultivated throughout East Asia for its small (approximately long) bean. The cultivars most familiar in East Asia ...
s.
''Patbap'' has been mentioned in the documents such as ''Joseon Mussangsinsik Yorijaebeop'' (), the early cookbook that compiled the information how to make the traditional dishes of
Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...
.
It is especially a traditional recipe of
Pyongan Province
Pyeong-an Province (, ) was one of Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Pyeong'an was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital was Pyeongyang (now Pyongyang, North Korea).
History
Pyeong'an Province was formed in ...
, where adzuki beans are grown in abundance.
In Korean culture, it is usually eaten in the winter months, but it is also prepared for holidays and birthdays.
For that reason it is sometimes referred to as "birthday rice."
''Patbap'' is typically made in the same way as making ''
huinbap'' (cooked white rice), with the additional step of mixing cooked whole adzuki beans with soaked white rice before boiling.
Fresh, undried beans can be used without boiling in advance.
Four parts rice and one part adzuki beans may be used, but the amount of adzuki beans can be adjusted to taste.
In some regions, uncooked red or
black adzuki beans are husked and ground before being mixed with soaked rice.
In
Korean royal court cuisine
Korean royal court cuisine (''Joseon Wangjo Gungjung yori'') was the style of cookery within Korean cuisine traditionally consumed at the court of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910. There has been a revival of this cookery s ...
, rice was cooked in the water where adzuki beans were boiled.
* ''Patbap'' () – Adzuki beans are boiled with 6–7 parts water until cooked but intact.
They are then mixed with soaked rice, and boiled again in water.
Usually, plain water mixed with the water in which the beans were boiled is used.
* ''Budungpat-bap'' () – ''Budung-pat'' means fresh (rather than dried) beans.
Ripe fresh adzuki beans are mixed with soaked rice and boiled.
Less water is used than with dried beans as the fresh beans contain moisture.
* ''Geopipat-bap'' () – ''Geopi-pat'' means husked beans.
Red or
black adzuki beans are husked, ground using a millstone, and mixed with soaked rice.
Husked adzuki beans are an ivory white color.
* ''Jungdung-bap'' () – Whole adzuki beans are boiled in water and sieved, so that the water can be used to make reddish rice.
The sieved red beans can be sweetened and used in desserts.
If barley is also mixed in, the dish is called ''pat-bori-bap'' (; "adzuki bean and barley rice").
In
Gangwon Province, a dish made with
corn kernel
Corn kernels are the fruits of corn (called maize in many countries). Maize is a grain, and the kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable or a source of starch. The kernel comprise endosperm, germ, pericarp, and tip cap.
One ear of corn conta ...
s (in place of rice) and adzuki beans is called ''oksusu-pat-bap'' (; "corn and adzuki bean rice").
See also
* ''
Kongbap'' – similar Korean dish made with soybeans
* ''
Patjuk
''Patjuk'' ( ko, 팥죽 ) is a type of Korean juk consisting of red beans and rice. It is commonly eaten during the winter season in Korea, and is associated to '' dongji'' (winter solstice),
* as people used to believe that the red color of ''pa ...
'' – red bean porridge
*
Red bean cake – similar Japanese rice cake made with red beans
*
Red beans and rice
References
External links
Rice with azuki beans (osekihan) recipe
{{Japanese food and drink
Bap
Chinese rice dishes
East Asian cuisine
Holiday foods
Japanese rice dishes
Korean rice dishes
Legume dishes