Quick Answer
The adzuki bean (red bean), Vigna angularis, is, according to English Wikipedia, widely grown across East Asia and often made into sweet red beans or red bean paste for shaved ice, desserts and baking; Wikipedia cites 2006 data putting Taiwan’s red bean acreage at about 15,000 hectares. Bubble tea shops use canned red bean, mung bean and eight-treasure beans for red bean milk, matcha red bean lattes, red bean milk tea, eight-treasure ice and hot grass jelly. Canned beans skip soaking and cooking and have consistent texture; after opening, store them as the pack directs.
How Canned Beans Are Used
| Canned item | Common drinks and desserts |
|---|---|
| Red bean | Red bean milk, red bean milk tea, matcha red bean latte, red bean ice |
| Mung bean | Mung bean smoothie, mung bean milk, mung bean ice |
| Eight-treasure beans | Eight-treasure ice, hot grass jelly |
| Taro | Taro fresh milk, taro ice; see How to Make Taro Milk |
For hot grass jelly, see What Is Grass Jelly?; for matcha lattes, see How to Make a Matcha Latte.
Canned vs Cooking Your Own
| Comparison | Canned | Cooked in store |
|---|---|---|
| Prep time | Open and use | Soak, cook, season |
| Texture | Consistent | Adjustable |
| Sweetness | Per product | Adjustable |
| Best for | High volume, limited staff | Handmade positioning |
Portions and Storage
- Fix portions: use a measuring cup or spoon so cost and sweetness stay consistent.
- Sugar: canned beans are usually sweetened, so count them in the drink’s sweetness.
- After opening: transfer to a clean container, refrigerate as directed and label the time.
Tang Sugar’s Canned Beans and Desserts
Tang Sugar supplies canned red bean (3.4kg per can, 6 per carton), canned mung bean, eight-treasure beans and taro (3kg per can, 6 per carton), plus canned aloe, aiyu jelly and grass jelly drink. Request samples.
Products in this article
All 4 Canned Dessert Toppings →
FAQ
What is red bean in bubble tea?
Sweetened adzuki beans (also spelled azuki), Vigna angularis, used as a topping in milk drinks, milk tea and shaved ice.
How do bubble tea shops use red beans?
In red bean milk, red bean milk tea and matcha red bean lattes, and on shaved ice and hot grass jelly.
Canned red bean or homemade?
Canned beans are ready to use with consistent texture; homemade lets you adjust sweetness and texture but takes soaking and cooking time.
What are eight-treasure beans used for?
Mostly desserts such as eight-treasure ice and hot grass jelly.
Further Reading
- What Is Grass Jelly?
- How to Make a Matcha Latte
- How to Use Canned Fruit in Drinks
- How to Make Mochi and Tangyuan
Sources
- Wikipedia: Adzuki bean
- Tang Sugar product list (March 2026 edition)
