Chi Xiao Dou (Vigna umbellata) — Dried Red Adzuki Beans, Food-Herb Grain for Soup & Congee

Chi Xiao Dou (Vigna umbellata), also known as Red Adzuki Bean or Rice Bean, is the dried seed of a traditional food-herb grain known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as Chì Xiǎo Dòu (赤小豆). For centuries it has been prized as a gentle, water-regulating food herb, used in soups, congees, and seasonal grain blends to support fluid balance and daily nourishment. Its nature is sweet, sour, and neutral, making it a mild yet dependable ingredient for harmonizing the Spleen and soothing dampness.

Key Selling Points

• Traditional food-herb grain (药食同源)
• Dried Chi Xiao Dou seeds, new-crop quality
• Vigna umbellata, distinct from common red bean
• Naturally sun-dried, clean farm-sourced
• Ideal for soup, congee, and grain blends

Quality & Sensory

Each batch is naturally sun-dried to preserve its deep reddish-brown color, firm smooth skin, and clean, faintly earthy aroma. When simmered, the beans soften into a creamy, slightly mealy texture and release a mild, subtly sweet, nutty flavor that thickens broths and congees without overpowering companion ingredients.

Technical Specifications

Usage Scenarios

• Chinese-style soup and broth
• Congee and grain porridge
• Coarse grain blends and multigrain rice
• Seasonal damp-weather food therapy
• Herbal soup-pack ingredient

Traditional Uses

In folk herbal practice, Chi Xiao Dou is decocted into soups, congees, and grain tonics to support daily fluid balance and gentle nourishment. It is a classic companion to coix seed (Yi Mi), lotus seed, and poria in damp-season soup packs, and is simmered with jujube and rice in everyday congee. As a daily food, it is cooked alone or blended into multigrain rice for a mild, grounding addition to the table.

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