Red bean rice

Red bean rice, calledpatbap(팥밥) inKorean,sekihan(赤飯) inJapanese, andhóngdòu fàn(红豆饭) inChinese, is an East Asian rice dish consisting ofricecooked withred beans.
Hóngdòu fàn(红豆饭) is a traditional Chinese dish found in some regions ofChina. It is particularly common inJiangsu provinceand eaten during theWinter Clothes Day. A legend from the Dafeng area ofYancheng, Jiangsu says that people eat a bowl ofglutinous ricemixed withred beanson the Winter Clothes Day in Jiangsu to commemorate a shepherd boy who was slain by alandlord.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.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 1 October.
In 2015, red bean rice was served toPrime Minister of India,Narendra Modiat a state banquet withGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party,Xi JinpinginXi'an,Shaanxi province.
Sekihan(赤飯,lit.'red rice', rice boiled together with red beans) is a Japanese traditional dish. It issticky ricesteamed withadzuki beans, 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 Shintodivine work[ja]. Red rice has a strong taste oftannin, and its cultivation has been almost completely abandoned.
Sekihan is often served on special occasions throughout the year in Japan, for example, birthdays, weddings and some holidays, such asShichi-Go-San.In some places it is customarily made when a young woman reachesmenarche, 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 celebratorybento(boxed lunch). Sekihan is traditionally eaten withgomashio(a mixture of lightly toastedsesameandsalt).
There are also regional varieties of sekihan.  Some versions call for sugar instead of salt to give a sweet flavor.  Others useamanattō(sweetened bean confectionery) orsasage(black cowpea beans) instead of adzuki.
Patbap(팥밥,[pʰat̚.p͈ap̚],lit.'red bean rice') is abap(cooked grain dish) made with non-glutinouswhiteshort-grain riceandadzuki beans.Patbaphas been mentioned in the documents such asJoseon Mussangsinsik Yorijaebeop(Korean:조선무쌍신식요리제법;Hanja:朝鮮無雙新式料理製法), the early cookbook that compiled the information how to make the traditional dishes ofJoseon.It is especially a traditional recipe ofPyongan Province, 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".
Patbapis typically made in the same way as makinghuinbap(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 orblack adzuki beansare husked and ground before being mixed with soaked rice.InKorean royal court cuisine, rice was cooked in the water where adzuki beans were boiled.