Black Soybeans

Black Soybeans

　　　　Product Name: Black Soybeans

　　　　Place of Origin: Pinghu, Zhejiang

　　　　Category: Black Soybeans

　　　　Characteristics: Oval-shaped, with black skin and green flesh, also known as black-skinned beans or black soybeans; they are large in size and make a distinct sound when dropped on a plate.

　　　　Ingredients: Contain 43.5% protein, along with iron, chromium, copper, cobalt, and other trace elements and growth factors, as well as 17 essential amino acids required by the human body. Black soybean products help eliminate free radicals, delay aging, improve nutritional anemia, boost immunity, enhance sexual function, and provide anti-stress benefits.

　　Health Benefits: Can treat night sweats and weakness, while also nourishing yin, enriching blood, and promoting fitness. Commonly used in folk remedies, stewed with pig’s trotters, Black Soybeans have lactation-promoting and blood-enriching effects, making them a valuable tonic.

　　　　Product Introduction: According to “Compendium of Materia Medica,” black soybeans can nourish kidney, calm the mind, improve vision, regulate qi and promote diuresis, clear heat, and dispel wind. There are 59 recorded prescriptions using black soybeans for treatment. Black soybeans are also an important ingredient in medications related to “lecithin,” “hormones,” “vitamins,” and “proteins.”

　　　　Product History: Records of black soybean cultivation in Pinghu date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. During the Republican era, foreign merchants stationed in Shanghai purchased Black Soybeans, and traders from Guangzhou also came to Pinghu for trade. In the 21st year of the Republic (1932), the city’s total production of Black Soybeans was 1,875 tons, with the majority being exported. After liberation, production areas were distributed across eight townships. In 1956, exports resumed, though intermittently. In 1968, the city purchased 1,215 tons of Black Soybeans, of which 1,015 tons were exported; between 1974–1976, 210 tons were exported, and exports ceased in 1977 after 20 tons. From 1987–1989, a total of 488 tons were exported, mainly to Southeast Asia, Japan, South America, Northern Europe, and Hong Kong.