dried hyacinth beans
扁豆· bian dou
Taste & Role
They are added to slow-simmered Cantonese soups, herbal broths, and rice congees, where they lend body and a gentle starchy thickness. In traditional Chinese food therapy they are valued for supposedly strengthening the spleen and dispelling dampness, so they often appear in summer tonic soups alongside lotus seeds, barley, and dried tangerine peel.
What it is
Dried hyacinth beans are the dried seeds of the hyacinth bean vine (Lablab purpureus), a climbing legume widely grown across Asia. In Chinese cooking, the flat, off-white beans—often sold as white hyacinth beans—are a staple of herbal soups and congees. They must be soaked and simmered until tender before eating.
Nutrition
per 100 g- Calories
- 344 kcal
- Protein
- 23.9 g
- Total fat
- 1.69 g
- Carbs
- 60.7 g
- Fiber
- 25.6 g
- Sodium
- 21 mg
USDA FoodData Central (closest standard match)
Substitutes
No registered substitutes — this one is usually easy to find.
Recipes using it
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