> > Why the heck would anyone make any sort of cake with a bean paste?! That just sounds wrong. Cakes are sweet, fluffy, moist, and spongelike. Bean paste just sounds... ucky. The concept is lost on me; it doesn't seem remotely dessertesque.
> >
> > Tra "Garçon!... I'll just have the flan, thanks." nio

Ah, Tranio, but that's because you're thinking of North American dried beans. The Chinese bean-paste is made from red mung beans which, like Ayako notes, is eaten sweet. Mung are the same size as barley except they're smooth and chocolate-brown. They are tasty and sort of remind me of cocoa beans in flavour, but without the bitterness. I can't think of any good use for mung-bean paste except mainly for desserts.

What's that? You actually forgot chocolate is made from BEANS? :-)


> Myself, I love red bean paste steamed buns. I've only seen them at one restaurant (Chinese), but whenever I go there I make sure to get one. The paste is rather sweetish, but I'm not sure if it's usually intended for dessert.
>
> Aya"it wasn't a cake though"ko