Red beans

These small red beans have been used in Korean cuisine for thousands of years in rice and porridge dishes and also as a sweet filling for many desserts. They are sold in many other Asian markets, as well as whole-foods stores and many supermarkets.

Buy beans that are the brightest red you can find, not dark and purple. The dried red beans are hard so you’ll probably have to soak them in cold water for hours before you can use them, or boil and simmer them until they get soft.