Liuyang fermented black beans
Liuyang Fermented Black Beans
Dear friends:
Hello everyone! Earlier, I introduced to you Liuyang's local specialties — fireworks and chrysanthemum stone — and today I will introduce yet another famous Liuyang specialty: Liuyang fermented black beans. You might well ask, how can Liuyang have so many famous local products? Indeed, Liuyang is uniquely blessed with an abundance of natural resources.
Fermented black beans are a condiment with a distinctive flavor, and those produced in Liuyang, Hunan, are the most famous. Liuyang fermented black beans are a traditional local specialty of Liuyang City. "Firecrackers bang, black beans fragrant, a pair of brothers travels the world." This is the folk acknowledgment and praise for Liuyang's world-renowned specialties — fermented black beans and firecrackers. This saying has circulated among the people of Liuyang since the mid-Ming Dynasty (mid-15th century), enduring for hundreds of years without decline. Since their inception, Liuyang fermented black beans have been admired by people at home and abroad for their uniquely rich rustic character.
According to the Records of Hunan Industry, by 1937 the annual output of fermented black beans in Liuyang had reached 18,000 dan. By the late 1970s, Liuyang fermented black beans had successively won a series of national and provincial quality product awards. At present, the city's fermented black bean industry has more than 30 manufacturers, with an annual output of over 1,000 tons. Liuyang fermented black beans are deeply loved by the people for their unique flavor and rich nutritional value. They sell well in more than 20 provinces and cities across the country and are exported to Singapore, Malaysia, and some European and American countries and regions with large Chinese populations.
Liuyang fermented black beans have a long history, and their true origin can no longer be precisely verified today, but some folk accounts sufficiently demonstrate their antiquity. The "Treatise on Food and Money" in the Former Book of Han records: "Fan Shaoweng of Chang'an sold fermented black beans and was known as the Bean-Bean Elder." Some believe that Liuyang fermented black beans originated before the Qin Dynasty, but there is no definitive evidence. However, it is a fact that the fermented black beans with ginger unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tomb are similar to Liuyang fermented black beans, dating back more than 2,000 years. By the Tang Dynasty, the great temples such as Shishuang Temple on Daowu Mountain in Liuyang were thriving with incense, and monks from all directions came to pay homage and lodge there. When they tasted the fermented black beans in the vegetarian dishes — fragrant and overflowing, with a unique flavor — their appetites were immediately whetted, and they could not help praising them. The monks, not satisfied with merely eating them, would carry them in Buddhist bags as they wandered afar. Thus, Liuyang fermented black beans became famous throughout the world and have endured through the ages. There was once a saying in their praise: "Fine are the scenes of Daowu Mountain, fragrant are Liuyang's fermented black beans; where monks roam at leisure, the fine name spreads in all directions."
Speaking of Liuyang fermented black beans, one cannot help but think of Yiyang fermented bean curd. Let me take this opportunity to introduce it: if tofu was a great contribution of the imperial court to humanity, then the invention of fermented bean curd was a great contribution of the common people — or rather, of the Buddhist faith — to humanity. "Golden Flower Fermented Bean Curd" is a traditional famous specialty of Yiyang, and its emergence is likewise connected to Buddhism. It was invented during the Yuanhe reign of Emperor Xianzong of Tang (806–820) by the eminent monk Guanghui, abbot of Bailu Temple. Legend has it that he wandered far on alms rounds and did not return for a long time. In the temple kitchen, the leftover bean-based vegetarian dishes grew a layer of fuzzy mold, the color of milk. When tasted, they were fine in texture and fresh in flavor. Thereafter, they were made according to the same method, and all the monks delighted in eating them. Following monastic custom, they named it "Buddha's Milk." In the sixth year of Dazhong of Tang (852), the chancellor Pei Xiu was exiled to Jingnan and lodged at Bailu Temple in Yiyang, where he studied and lectured. He often dined with the monks and, having tasted "Buddha's Milk," was astonished by its freshness and praised it ceaselessly, writing in a spontaneous hand: "Where sages once dwelt in seclusion, only the poem of Buddha's Milk remains." Later, when Pei Xiu went to the capital to report on his duties, he brought "Buddha's Milk" into the imperial palace and presented it before the emperor. The emperor tasted it, deemed it a rare delicacy, and delightedly bestowed upon it the name "Imperial Milk." Subsequently, the temples of Yiyang imitated its production one after another, and before long the method spread among the people. Because fermented bean curd develops mold during fermentation and appears hairy, it is also called "hairy curd"; and because in the Yiyang dialect "cat" and "hair" are easily confused, it was mistakenly called "cat curd." Likewise, the invention or discovery of Liuyang fermented black beans was also a great contribution of Buddhism to humanity. However, exactly how they were discovered or invented has yet to be found in any historical records, and thus remains a mystery... But there is no doubt that by the Tang Dynasty they had become part of the vegetarian cuisine in great temples such as Shishuang Temple on Daowu Mountain in Liuyang.
Liuyang fermented black beans are made from mud beans or small black beans through fermentation and refinement. They are characterized by complete and uniform grains, thick juice and fresh flavor, rich nutrition, and the quality of not becoming moldy or spoiled even after long storage. The presence of dishes containing fermented black beans with ginger among the artifacts unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha proves that the production of fermented black beans existed more than 2,000 years ago. The 1935 Records of Chinese Industry states: "Of Hunan's fermented black beans, those produced in Liuyang are the most famous." At that time, after a period of development, Liuyang's fermented black bean workshops had already gained considerable fame and reached a relatively large scale. Liuyang once enjoyed the reputation: "No shop without black beans, fragrant black beans everywhere." Many famous time-honored fermented black bean brands emerged, such as Yang Fu He and Yi Pin Xiang. Liuyang fermented black beans, used for steaming and soaking to make fresh sauce or as a cooking ingredient, have a freshness that soy sauce and MSG cannot match. Liuyang fermented black beans, excellent in color, aroma, taste, and appearance, are renowned throughout the three Xiang regions and famous at home and abroad, sold far and wide just like Liuyang fireworks.
The earliest written records that can shed light on the production history of Liuyang fermented black beans date back only about 200 years. In reality, this is merely the history of the Yi Pin Xiang fermented black bean workshop. Legend has it that during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1821–1850), a man named Li Chunyan in Liuyang city invented and produced fermented black beans. For a time, the Li family's fermented black bean workshop did brisk business. Li had an uncle who served in the Qing imperial kitchen. In the sixth year of Xianfeng (1856), when the uncle returned to Liuyang to visit family, the Li family gave him fermented black beans to take back to the capital. The imperial kitchen prepared dishes with the fermented black beans and presented them to the emperor. After tasting them, Emperor Xianfeng found them fragrant and delicious, deeply impressed by their fresh flavor, and exclaimed repeatedly: "Excellent, excellent!" He ordered a eunuch to bestow the dishes upon first-rank officials for consumption, and they were greatly admired. Therefore, these fermented black beans were named "Yi Pin Xiang" (First-Rank Fragrance) and listed as a tribute to the imperial court, with regulations requiring tribute to the royal family each year at the Dragon Boat Festival and Double Ninth Festival. Thus, Yi Pin Xiang fermented black beans became famous throughout the world. Obviously, this contradicts the fact that in the Tang Dynasty, the fermented black beans in the vegetarian dishes of Shishuang Temple on Daowu Mountain were so fragrant that monks carried them while wandering in all directions, thereby making Liuyang fermented black beans famous throughout the world. It merely explains the origin of the name "Yi Pin Xiang," or that the fermented black beans made by Li Chunyan of "Yi Pin Xiang" were better than previous ones — truly being Liuyang fermented black beans in today's sense.
Why do these small, black, seemingly unremarkable Liuyang fermented black beans possess such great charm? This requires explaining the selection of ingredients and production of Liuyang fermented black beans: their production must use mud beans produced in Yong'an, Beisheng, and other areas within Liuyang City, as well as Jinjing in Changsha, as raw materials. These mud beans are similar to soybeans, but mud beans have thicker skins, contain less fat, and have delicate starch. The production process of Liuyang fermented black beans is quite complex, requiring more than 10 steps to truly complete. In the past, the production techniques of the fermented black bean industry were not taught to outsiders, and skilled masters were eagerly sought after by every workshop.
Fermented black beans are generally made from mud beans and small black beans. The production cycle is relatively long, and everything is done by hand. First comes the initial steaming: a large steamer is used to steam the beans — after sand and mud have been sifted out — until half-cooked. Then they are poured into a fermentation vat and soaked for about 30 minutes. Next comes the second steaming, to cook the beans thoroughly. After that, the cooked beans are spread out to cool and then enter the mold room for fermentation. After 3 to 7 days of fermentation, the beans grow yellow aspergillus. Then they come out of the mold room to be washed. After further steps — entering the "water enclosure" (large bamboo trays), passing through barrels (large wooden barrels), and sun-drying — the fresh and fragrant fermented black beans are finally ready to eat.
Among the steps just described, two are the most critical, and a master's skill level is demonstrated precisely in these two areas. One is temperature control during fermentation in the mold room. In the past, there were no thermometers, and temperature control depended entirely on the master's experience. A bamboo stick was inserted inside, then pulled out and tested by hand for temperature. How many days the beans should stay in the mold room depended on the master "following his feelings," and this determined the quality of the beans. Of course, things are better now — there are thermometers to control temperature accurately.
The second is washing off the mold. The molded fermented black bean embryos are carried in bamboo baskets to the Liuyang River to be washed. The washing is done with the feet. Following the slow flow of the Liuyang River, both feet are stepped into the washing basket and stirred toward both sides. The washing must be fast, so that the bean embryos do not absorb too much water, yet they must be washed clean; otherwise, the mold will affect the quality and taste of the fermented black beans. Here, it should be noted that the mold must be washed using the unique clear spring water from the south bank of the Liuyang River, which gives Liuyang fermented black beans their special flavor. Delicious fermented black beans and five-spice fermented black beans are new products developed on the basis of traditional techniques, with soft texture and a fragrant, fresh taste.
Liuyang fermented black beans are divided into "nest beans" and "common beans." The best fermented black beans are the portion at the very center after fermentation in the large wooden barrel during the barrel-passing step, called nest-heart fermented black beans. Therefore, truly good fermented black beans are not plentiful. Just a few grains of good fermented black beans added to water tofu will make the entire bowl fragrant. "Common beans" are those around the edges during fermentation in the large wooden barrel.
Liuyang fermented black beans are dark brown or sauce-red in color, with wrinkled skins and dry flesh, soft in texture, plump in grain, fragrant in aroma and fresh in taste. The longer they are stored, the better their flavor. After being soaked in water until swollen, they yield thick juice and fresh flavor, making them an excellent seasoning for cooking. Stir-frying garlic and chili peppers with Liuyang fermented black beans, or steaming fish, meat, or spare ribs with them, produces an especially delicious taste — a home-style dish beloved by Hunan people. Among the many dishes of Hunan cuisine, one of China's eight great culinary traditions, Liuyang fermented black beans are indispensable in the preparation of many recipes. For example, the famous Hunan dish "Steamed Assorted Cured Meats" uses fermented black beans as a seasoning. Whenever people mention a delicious dish related to fermented black beans, they invariably think: "You must use Liuyang fermented black beans."
The traditional pickled vegetable product known as fermented black bean ginger, found in Changsha, Liuyang, and other places, is also made with Liuyang fermented black beans and Yongzhou ginger. First, fresh ginger is sliced and sun-dried on bamboo mats. The fermented black beans are steamed in a wooden steamer for sterilization. Then the steamed fermented black beans are mixed into the sun-dried ginger slices — one layer of ginger, one layer of fermented black beans — and packed into jars and compressed. After 10 to 15 days, the ginger slices are taken out, the fermented black beans sifted away, and soy sauce, white liquor, and other auxiliary ingredients are added to the ginger slices and mixed well. They are then packed into jars, pressed tight, and sealed. After 20 to 30 days of pickling, they become pickled ginger that is yellow-brown in color, fresh in taste, spicy, and crisp and tender. The fermented black bean ginger thus produced has a yellow-brown color, a fresh and spicy taste, a crisp and tender texture, and a rich aroma of fermented black beans. It not only stimulates the appetite and promotes eating, but also has the function of releasing the exterior and dispelling cold.
Liuyang fermented black beans combine freshness, fragrance, and deliciousness in one. Their special aroma has long deeply captivated a vast number of gourmets, making them a particularly beloved condiment. Liuyang fermented black beans are not only delicious in taste and fragrant in aroma, with no hard centers, no impurities, no off-flavors, and no dust — a fine seasoning; they are also rich in nutrition, containing dozens of amino acids, proteins, and minerals essential to the human body, such as carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, fats, enzymes, niacin, and vitamins B1 and B2. They have certain medicinal functions, can treat colds, and are an indispensable food for the people of Hunan. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica: fermented black beans dispel cold and release the exterior, strengthen the spleen, and nourish the heart. A small amount of fermented black beans decocted with old ginger or scallion whites and pepper can be taken to dispel cold and release the exterior. This is also why the people of Hunan have a special affection for them, and why Hunan cuisine cannot do without them — because it is also a choice for health and wellness. Thus, Liuyang fermented black beans have become one of the local products that Hunan people living elsewhere must buy when returning from visits to their hometowns. Smelling this age-old fragrance of fermented black beans, one's thoughts return to the place that bore and raised me, and to endless memories of the past...