2 minute read
Evergreen Community Health
RENFREW COLLINGWOOD COMMUNITY NEWS
January 2023
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Celebration red bean soup
by Julie Cheng
I come from a family of great home cooks, from my grandmother, to my dad, to my two sisters. My mom was a terrible cook, and I take after her. So when, in the December issue of the RCC News, I committed to learning to cook red bean soup and one day share it with friends and family, this really was a way for me to discover how to make some traditional Chinese foods from my youth.
Off I went to Chula Vista Grocery, where I found a pack of what I thought was adzuki beans, the main ingredient for this classic dessert that was so often served at the end of many family meals, including Lunar New Year. Good thing I double checked with the owner, because he kindly pointed me to a different package of red beans.
I’m happy to report that I recently served red bean soup at a family dinner to commemorate Dong, a Chinese festival that always happens on the winter solstice, with a recipe adapted from The Woks of Life (thewoksoflife.com/red-bean-soup/). I don’t really remember having the orange zest or tapioca from this recipe in my red bean soup over the years, though I do remember my grandmom putting in dried orange peel.
In my own recipe, I substituted rock cane sugar (available at places like Banana Grove), which comes in slabs and has a deeper flavour than regular sugar. The ginger was my own addition. This recipe serves 6.
If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out for you. If you have your own traditional red bean soup recipe, I’d love to hear from you. Any tips and tricks would be very much appreciated – just email rccnews-editorial@cnh.bc.ca.
Red bean soup is a traditional dessert served at the end of Chinese banquets and family dinners. Photos by Julie Cheng
5. Add one slab of cane sugar, or to taste. 6. Add 1 tablespoon tapioca pearls (optional) and simmer for another 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
1. Rinse then soak 1 cup of adzuki beans in water for 8 hours or overnight. 2.Smash 2 inches (5 cm) of fresh ginger.
Don Davies MP
Vancouver Kingsway
Warmest wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2023.
Community Office
2951 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5R 5J4 604-775-6263 | Don.Davies@parl.gc.ca
