Adzuki bean vs small red bean?

[BAPyessir6]

I got "small red beans" from the Asian market today, and I'm unsure if they're adzuki or not. What are these guys? Picture of adzuki on the left and mystery bean on the right.

Is this mystery bean a Mexican bean of some sort? The Google translate of the top words said "traditional cuisine." Really helpful, Google. Would love to know what they are so I can figure out how to use em. Thanks guys!

 

[caseydog]

Well, they do kind of look like the red beans we use for cajun cooking, but not exactly. That white split in the beans in you photos is larger than what I'm used to seeing. I'd bet by looking at them that they taste pretty much the same, so I wouldn't have any problem with trying them.

I'm pretty sure you can use them and they won't ruin your meal, so go for it.

CD

 

[blissful]

I used to have an adzuki bean bag, before we started eating beans so much. I don't remember what I used them for. I don't remember the taste.
I have a red bean we use (25 lbs at a time), but it doesn't have a white line on them. They cook up very nicely, creamy on the inside, nice shell not too thick or thin, hold their shape, starchy.

 

[pepperhead212]

I'm not really sure; there are some "Red Chori Beans" that I get at the Indian markets, and they are supposed to be some sort of cowpea, related to the black-eyed peas. They look sort of dull, like the ones in your left photo. The Adzuki beans I've gotten in the past looked darker, shiny, and slightly smaller, like the ones in the right photo. Not sure if they were simply different varieties, or just different, depending on the region they were from. Those red chori beans are some of my favorites in some Indian dishes, and they are really good sprouted - just 1/4" or so, starting 2-3 days, before using in a dish.

One thing similar about the Adzuki, as well as the red chori beans, is that the inside flesh is reddish. This is what makes that Chinese "Red Bean Paste" red, not just the skin. So maybe if you check the cooked beans, one won't be red inside, and one is, then they aren't related; and if they are both red, they are probably related, and one is just smaller, and darker. Of course, flavor can also tell you something, too!