White fava beans

White fava beans

　　In the mild March weather, vast fields in northern Cixi are covered with lush, emerald-green fava bean plants that are particularly delightful to the eye. The blooming fava bean flowers, resembling black butterflies spreading their wings, fill the expansive land with their fragrant aroma, refreshing the heart and soul. By early May, at the beginning of summer, the fava beans have grown into thick, sturdy pods. Peeling back the thick husks reveals plump, bright green, tender young fava beans—some pods hold three or four, others just one or two. The people of Cixi love eating these young green fava beans, either boiled or stir-fried, fragrant and sweet. Children enjoy stringing boiled green fava beans into necklaces and wearing them around their necks like jewelry. They make plans to frolic in the fields together, playing and snacking, having great fun. By the end of June, the fava beans are ripe, and farmers begin harvesting them, with the joy of a bountiful harvest filling the fields. Farmers also like to spread the fava beans on roadsides so that passersby can tread on them, helping the beans fall out of their pods. At this time, the ground is covered with fava beans, and the crisp sound they make underfoot adds a unique charm.

　　The large white fava beans produced in Cixi are one of the five famous bean varieties in Zhejiang Province and are also nationally renowned as an outstanding fava bean strain. These beans are large, high-quality, smooth, and firm, rich in protein and fat.

　　Large white fava beans are commonly known as "big beans" or "Buddha beans," but locals in Cixi often call them "dwarf beans." Legend has it that when Qi Jiguang led his troops to fight against Japanese pirates along the coast of Cixi, his soldiers fought bravely and were invincible. For every pirate they killed, they would pluck a fava bean to represent it, stringing the beans on a cord and wearing them around their necks. Later, the number of beans served as a record of meritorious deeds and rewards. Gradually, the name "dwarf beans" (referring to the enemy pirates) became widely used.

　　As a major spring grain crop in Cixi, large white fava beans are planted over a large area with significant yields. In 1974, over 100,000 acres of fava beans in Cixi achieved a yield of 300 kilograms per acre, bringing the total output to 36,500 tons. Most of Cixi’s fava bean production is exported overseas, accounting for about half of the total yield.

　　Fava beans are a treasure in every part. Besides being a food source, they are essential in both industry and medicine. Even the bean husks and stalks serve as excellent fodder and fuel. On summer and autumn nights, burning a pile of bean husks produces smoke with strong mosquito-repellent and antibacterial properties. There are many ways to eat fava beans. People in Cixi make fava bean vermicelli, which is white, shiny, slender, soft yet impossible to overcook—it’s considered the finest among vermicelli. It's also worth mentioning several traditional processing methods for large white fava beans in Cixi: 一、Stir-fried Fava Beans: These come in two types—shelled stir-fried fava bean halves and unshelled “orchid beans.” Both are delicious in color, aroma, and taste, making them great everyday side dishes. In recent years, Cixi-produced stir-fried fava beans have also been exported overseas. 二、Aniseed Fava Beans: Mentioned in Lu Xun’s novel “Kong Yiji,” where the character enjoys eating aniseed fava beans, these are made from processed fava beans. Their preparation method is simple, yet the flavor is excellent. 三、Stir-fried Fava Beans: This is the most common way of eating them in rural areas. There are many variations in how the beans are stir-fried, resulting in different flavors. Some are simply roasted directly in the pan, while others are sprouted before frying. The “salt-stir-fried beans” from Guancheng are crispy and aromatic, loved by all ages. There is also a type of hard yet particularly fragrant fried bean called “slate beans,” favored by young people who often carry them in their pockets, popping them into their mouths one by one, biting down with a satisfying “crunch-crunch” for a delightful taste. (Cixi)