What is red bean bubble tea?

Taipec sweet boiled red beans

What are red beans?

Adzuki beans, also known as red beans, originated in East Asia, where they have been grown and eaten for thousands of years, especially in China, Japan, and Korea. They later spread to other parts of the world as a valuable food crop as they are nutritious, adaptable to local growing conditions, and easy to store. Traditionally, they are cooked and used in dishes such as soups, rice meals, and sweet bean pastes for desserts, as their texture and nutritional value make them well suited for a wide range of foods.

Taipec sweet boiled red beans

How are sweet boiled red beans made?

Based on a study, sweet boiled red beans are prepared by first soaking the beans for several hours (around 5–6 hours is optimal) in water. This step softens the beans, allows them to absorb water, and removes compounds like tannins, phytic acid, and oligosaccharides that can affect taste and digestibility. After soaking, the beans are cooked in water at a controlled temperature, about 110.5 °C, for roughly 45 minutes. During cooking, the beans soften further, the pectin in the cell walls breaks down, and proteins denature and combine with starch, which creates the smooth, granulated texture of the bean paste. Once cooked, the beans can be sweetened with sugar and optionally oil.

Why use them in bubble tea?

When bubble tea was originally invented in the 1980s, red bean wasn't a chosen bubble tea topping yet. Toppings like grass jelly, popping boba, lychee, coconut jelly, and red beans were added later. Red beans are commonly used in traditional Asian desserts like red bean soup, shaved ice, mochi fillings, etc. Today, red bean is a famous bubble tea topping because it adds a distinct flavour that is unusual and unique. Because red beans are deeply rooted in East Asian cuisine and dessert culture, using them in bubble tea connects the beverage to regional culinary traditions. This provides cultural resonance as customers who grew up with red bean desserts may find the flavour comforting and familiar.

So why use red beans in bubble tea? Well, because it adds a unique flavour and texture that adventurous customers might love and it created cutural resonance with customers who grey up with it.

Taipec Sweet Boiled Red Beans

We stock Taiwanese sweet boiled red beans in two sizes: 900g or 3kg. Both can be bought in bulk.

Our beans are:

  • allergen-free,
  • additive-free (so no artificial flavours, preservatives, colours or sweeteners) and
  • suitable for vegetarian, vegan and Halal diets.

You can easily store them in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.

Red Bean Bubble Tea Recipe

Now you're familiar with our sweet boiled red beans, let's use them in a bubble tea recipe.

A red bean matcha milk tea is super easy to make.

Go checkout our sweet boiled red beans now and add them to your bubble tea recipes!