I love these beans. I used them to make a sweet bean paste for making mochi. And here is the but in the review. You may think the beans need salt or other seasoning when cooking but they don't. When cooking these beans, soak them overnight to soften the outer coating. Drain the beans and then add water equaling about four times the amount of beans to ensure the water doesn't boil away completely. Boil the beans for about 60-90 minutes (I used a rice cooker for better temperature control). And the most important thing to remember is to add absolutely nothing to the beans and water during this time period. If you do, the beans will almost never get soft. Save the seasoning for after the beans are completely cooked. I made this mistake and ended up sending a query to iHerb thinking it was old beans. I hope this info comes in handy for anyone wanting to try these delicious beans.