What are the main producing areas and nutritional value of black beans?
Black beans are the black seeds of the soybean, a plant in the Fabaceae (legume) family, also known as lub beans, black soybeans, horse feed beans, and so on. So, where are the main producing areas of black beans? What nutritional value do black beans have? How do you eat black beans?
1. Main producing areas of black beans
China grows black beans everywhere from south to north, and its richness in variety resources ranks first among all countries in the world. At present, China preserves more than 22,000 accessions of soybean variety resources, of which 2,980 are black soybeans, accounting for 13.2%, mostly distributed in the Yellow River basin, which is the main producing area of small black beans. Today, the loess plateau areas of northern Shaanxi and Shanxi still mainly grow small black beans; in some places farmers call all soybeans black beans, call yellow soybeans white black beans, and call black beans black black beans, which shows how widespread and long-standing local black bean cultivation is.
2. Nutritional value of black beans
Black beans are very high in protein, and black beans are a low-fat food. Black beans are rich in nutrients and contain 18 amino acids, all of which are amino acids the human body must have. Black beans also contain 19 kinds of oleic acids, among which unsaturated fatty acids are abundant, their content is very high, and their absorption rate is also extremely high. Black beans are rich in anthocyanins, vitamin E, isoflavones, and other components. The trace elements in black beans, such as zinc, molybdenum, selenium, fluorine, copper, and magnesium, are all present in high amounts, and these trace elements have very good effects on delaying aging and reducing blood viscosity in the human body.
3. How do you eat black beans?
1. Black beans soaked in vinegar
Ingredients: vinegar, black beans.
Method: Wash the black beans, put them in an oil-free bottle, pour rice vinegar into the bottle, and be sure to fully submerge the black beans. After the black beans absorb the vinegar dry, be sure to add more vinegar. Over time a film will form on top of the vinegar; you can rinse the film off, and if you find the vinegar has become cloudy, be sure to replace the vinegar. Leave in a cool place or store refrigerated in the fridge for 10 days, and then it is ready to eat.
2. Black bean and red date soup
Ingredients: black beans, red dates, black beans, brown sugar.
Method: Wash the black beans, then soak the black beans for 12 hours. Wash the red dates and set aside. Put the black beans and clean water into a clay pot, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat and simmer until the beans are cooked. Finally, add the red dates and brown sugar and simmer for another 20 minutes, and it is ready.
3. Garlic and shiitake black beans
Ingredients: 100 grams of black beans, 8 dried shiitake mushrooms, 15 grams of minced garlic, an appropriate amount of scallions, an appropriate amount of ginger, an appropriate amount of salt.
Method: Wash the beans and soak the black beans for 1 hour. Rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms clean and soak them in warm water until they expand. Put the soaked black beans into a pot, add water and continue cooking for about 30 minutes, by which point the black beans are basically cooked. Cut the soaked shiitake mushrooms into diced shiitake, and set aside the diced shiitake and the shiitake water; cut the scallions, ginger, and garlic into small pieces. Heat the pot well, pour in an appropriate amount of oil, add the chopped scallions and ginger and stir-fry quickly, then add the diced shiitake and stir-fry. Add the already cooked black beans, pour in the shiitake water, and after stir-frying, cover the pot and simmer for about 3 minutes. Then turn off the heat, add the scallions, ginger, and garlic, add an appropriate amount of salt, and stir-fry evenly, and it is ready.
4. Black bean and red date stewed black chicken
Ingredients: half a black chicken, a small amount of black beans, a handful of small red dates.
Seasonings: white peppercorns, scallions, ginger, garlic, salt, Shaoxing wine, dried tangerine peel, star anise, fennel, fresh mint leaves.
Method: Soak the black beans in advance, then chop the black chicken into pieces, boil water in a pot, and after it comes to a boil, put the black chicken pieces into the pot; blanch the black chicken pieces until the blood is gone, then remove and set aside. Put cooking oil into the pot. Then add the scallions, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry to make the dish more fragrant; add the black chicken pieces with Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and fennel, and stir-fry; add some white peppercorns, stir-fry the dried tangerine peel until fragrant, and add Shaoxing wine. Boil a pot of water, then add the black beans to the stir-fried fragrant black chicken pieces, cook for about 1 hour, and add some small red dates. Add a little salt to season, cook for another half an hour, then take it out of the pot, plate it, and garnish with mint leaves, and it is ready.
5. Black bean and kelp stewed pig trotters
Ingredients: kelp, black beans, ginger slices, braised pig trotters, salt.
Method: Wash the black beans and put them into a clay pot together with the braised pig trotters, add enough water at once, add the ginger slices, bring to a boil over high heat, add the kelp, and simmer over low heat until the black beans become soft and the kelp absorbs the flavor, and it is ready.