Bean counters: protein, vitamins and great taste
Print Edition
THE fresh, tender greenery of newly harvested legumes is a certain sign that spring is returning to the dinner table.
Peas and beans have been a main staple source of protein for millennia, and now begins the season when they are at their finest.
Broad beans
In Shanghai and the neighboring provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, fresh broad beans — called fava beans in some countries — are among the most sought-after spring delicacies.
In ancient times, the beans were considered the food of the poor, but nowadays they can be as expensive as some meats. Some vendors push the price of shelled broad beans up to 40 yuan (US$5.80) per half-kilo when they first hit the market.
Most of the broad beans currently in market come from southern provinces like Yunnan and Hainan. Locally grown crops won’t arrive until near the end of spring.
In Chinese, the broad bean is called candou, or silkworm bean. There are two explanations for that.
Wang Zhen, an agronomist in the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), wrote in his Nong Shu, or “Book of Agriculture,” that the broad bean matures at about the same time as the silkworm hatches.
While during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), medicinal expert Li Shizhen said that the broad bean is called the silkworm bean because of the shape of its long pods.
Broad beans are rich in fiber and provide protein, vitamins like folate, and minerals like magnesium, calcium, iron and copper.
The simplest and perhaps most tasty way to prepare spring broad beans is stir-frying them with scallions, which allows the tender, soft beans to absorb the flavors of the scallions.
The famous Pixian doubanjiang (spicy fermented bean paste) in Sichuan cuisine is made with broad beans.
For a low-calorie snack, fresh broad beans can be boiled in water spiced with dried chili, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns and salt. The texture is much softer than when the dish is made with dried beans.
Parents should be cautious when serving fresh broad beans to children. They can cause acute red blood cells to rupture in some children due to G6PD deficiency. Symptoms include yellow coloring of the skin and a sudden rise of body temperature.
Green soybeans
Maodou, which translates as “hairy bean” because of the tiny hairs on the pods, is actually an immature soybean. Green soybeans are also known as edamame, a name of Japanese origin.
The soybeans are typically boiled or steamed, and served as an appetizer.
To make simple boiled green soybeans, cut off both ends of the pod so the salty, spicy flavors in the water can seep into the seeds. The dish is best served chilled.
In Shanghai cuisine, green soybeans are essential ingredients in making cold zaolu dishes that marinate foods like the cooked soybean pods, shrimp and duck tongues in a brine of yellow wine and spices.
Crispy, fresh green soybeans also make great companions in rice dishes. They can be stir-fried with chopped chilies, garlic and minced pork or steamed with minced meat patties.
Green soybeans are rich in protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Garden peas
Garden peas, called wandou in China, come to harvest after the broad beans.
To celebrate the start of summer, many families traditionally cook rice with fresh garden peas, spring bamboo shoots and cured meats or sausage.
Garden pea pods can be boiled in water, with or without salt, for a light appetizer, while sweet peas culled from the pods can be sauteed with just a bit of salt after boiled for a minute.
Garden pea paste is a popular sweet dish, made with crushed cooked peas mixed with sugar, honey or cream.
Snow peas and sugar snap peas are varieties that can be eaten whole, pods and all. They are popular in stir-fries.
Winged beans
The winged bean is a tropical species. Its leaves, flowers, roots and pods are all edible. It’s often called longdou (dragon bean), or the “four-squared bean” because the pods have four frilly-edged wings.
Winged bean pods stir-fried with chopped dried chili or fermented soybean make a popular dish in Hainan Province, where the beans are widely cultivated.
Winged beans provide protein, vitamins and minerals.
Stir-fried broad beans
in scallion oil
Ingredients:
500 grams of broad beans, shelled
8-10 fresh scallions, finely chopped
Oil, a few tablespoons
Water
Salt
Steps:
1It’s best to buy whole broad beans and shell them right before cooking to preserve maximum freshness.
2In a wok, heat a few tablespoons of cooking oil and add in one third of the chopped scallion, preferably the white stalks.
3When the aroma of the scallion comes out, add in broad beans and stir quickly.
4Add water to cover the beans, and salt to taste.
5Cover the wok and let it cook until the broad beans begin to pop open, then sprinkle with the rest of the chopped scallions and cook till the water evaporates.
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