Azuki Bean Soup

Description
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 cup azuki (adzuki) beans 5 cups water 1 strip dried tangerine peel or fresh orange peel 1/4 cup canned lotus seeds 1/3 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, as desired

Directions
Soak the azuki beans in water for several hours to soften them (it's easiest to soak them overnight). Drain.

In a medium saucepan, bring the 5 cups of water with the tangerine peel to a boil. Turn the heat down, add the adzuki beans and lotus seeds and simmer, partially covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the beans are softened to the point where they are just beginning to break apart. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Taste and add more sugar if desired. Serve hot or cold.

Variations:
 * Use white instead of brown sugar
 * Other versions of this dish are made with longan seeds, lotus roots or lily bulbs.