Zhongmu Melon and Bean Paste

Zhongmu Melon and Bean Paste

　　In Zhongmu, many families have the habit of making their own jar of melon and bean paste. The finished paste has a rich and fragrant aroma, and many hotels in Zhongmu serve a dish where flower-shaped steamed buns are dipped in the paste—those who’ve tried it all say it’s delicious.

　　This is really thanks to Zhang Qian, an outstanding diplomat of the Western Han Dynasty. Thanks to his efforts, the Western Han established peaceful and friendly diplomatic relations with many states in the Western Regions, developed bilateral trade, and jointly countered the hegemonism of the Xiongnu. At the same time, he introduced a variety of vegetables and fruits, improving China's long-standing single-crop structure focused on the five grains (rice, millet, sorghum, wheat, and soybeans), and made his own contribution to the diversification of agricultural production in China. For example, more than ten types of plants such as carrots, watermelons, walnuts, grapes, pomegranates, fava beans, and alfalfa were gradually cultivated in the Central Plains after Zhang Qian. Carrots and watermelons are also widely planted in Zhongmu County. Especially for watermelons, the hardworking and simple people of Zhongmu improved and processed the fava beans, removing the dross and taking the essence. On this basis, they developed and produced the melon and bean paste.

　　Here’s an introduction to how it’s made:

　　1. Ingredients: Watermelon, soybeans, wheat flour, salt, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, fennel, ginger.

　　2. Tools: Paste jar, white cloth, chopsticks, rope.

　　3. Production method:

　　1. Watermelon: Use fully ripe, sandy-sweet, thin-skinned watermelons for the best results; Soybeans: Must be full, without moldy or spoiled grains, and the production should take place during the dog days (hottest period of summer).

　　2. Boil the beans: Boil the soybeans until fully cooked, maintaining their whole grain form. A slightly higher heat is preferable.

　　3. Mix with flour: After boiling the beans, remove them and mix with flour while draining the water. Once drained, place them in a winnowing basket and sprinkle with wheat flour. Shake up and down to ensure each bean is evenly coated with flour.

　　4. Cover the beans (to ferment): First, prepare a warm place for fermenting the beans—one that can retain heat but is not drafty. Lay some wheat straw or sawdust on the ground (to generate warmth for the beans), then spread a layer of sackcloth or thick paper on top. Evenly spread the floured beans on the paper, then cover with another layer of white paper, followed by a cotton quilt on top. Begin the fermentation process. Do not lift the quilt to check during fermentation to prevent heat loss—this stage requires high heat.

　　5. Sun-dry the beans: After three days, when a strong moldy smell is detected, it means the beans are ready. Uncover the paper and quilt—by now there will be a thick layer of brownish-yellow fuzz (mold) on the beans, and they will be sticky to each other. Take the beans out and spread them in the sunniest spot to begin sun-drying until dry.

　　6. Rub the beans: Once dried, gently rub off the bean flour fuzz, and use a winnowing basket to remove any impurities.

　　7. Add to jar: Preferably indoors, place the cleaned beans into the jar, add mashed peeled watermelon and salt, and stir evenly. The ratio is: 1 jin (500g) beans, 4 jin (2kg) watermelon, 4 liang (200g) salt, or a ratio of 1:4:0.4.

　　8. Sun-ferment the paste: After adding to the jar, cover with a white cloth and tie the mouth tightly with rope. Place it in a sunny spot to start fermenting. This sun-fermentation is also known as fermentation. On the second day after adding to the jar, depending on the thickness of the paste, add water infused with boiled Sichuan peppercorns, fennel, and star anise. On the third day, if the surface of the paste begins to bulge upward, it indicates obvious fermentation. From then on, the paste’s aroma will gradually intensify, and its color will deepen to a yellowish-brown. When fermentation is nearing completion, add shredded or sliced ginger. Some also add boiled peanuts.

　　9. Stir the paste: Stir once every morning or evening. It’s best to stir up and down. In about a month, it’s ready to eat.

　　4. Precautions

　　Making melon and bean paste is actually quite simple—just master two key steps. The first step is covering/fermenting the beans, also called sprouting the beans. This requires very high temperatures, so the place used for fermentation must retain heat and be airtight. Coat the beans quickly while hot, then cover them with the quilt. The depth of the beans shouldn’t be too shallow—too shallow and the temperature won’t build up, resulting in a weaker aroma. The beans should dry to a yellowish-brown color, with a faint fermented aroma. The second step is adding them to the jar. Salt is the most crucial element here. Too much salt will hinder fermentation, leading to a poorer taste. Too little salt may cause the paste to turn sour, which also ruins the flavor.

　　During sun-fermentation, remember to stir the paste once a day. This stage of fermentation is also called aerobic fermentation, meaning it needs plenty of oxygen. Stirring helps increase oxygen levels and benefits fermentation. During fermentation, it’s best not to seal the jar tightly with a glass lid or plastic wrap, as this is not good for fermentation and affects both flavor and color—fine cloth is best. Try to stir the paste when flies are least active to avoid them laying eggs and causing maggots. Cover the jar with a basin at night to prevent rainwater from getting in. If the paste becomes too thick, do not dilute it with raw water. Instead, use boiled Sichuan peppercorn water or noodle soup for thinning.

　　5. Ways to Eat

　　1. Eat directly. It goes well with all kinds of staple foods, especially steamed buns dipped in the paste—the taste is particularly delicious. Dipping vegetables in it not only tastes great but also provides certain health benefits. In Shandong, eating raw onions alone can be unappetizing, but dipping them in the paste makes you want to eat more. Eating onions with the paste regularly can effectively help prevent cholesterol increase and is very beneficial for the cardiovascular health of middle-aged and elderly people.

　　2. “Cook” it a bit. What does “cook” mean? First, sauté chopped scallions in hot oil, then scoop in three or four spoonfuls of the bean paste, add a bit of water, and stir well before frying in the pot. Of course, you can adjust to your preferred taste—for example, you could sauté minced meat, green and red chili peppers, beef cubes, or even eggs along with the scallions. The cooked bean paste tastes even more delicious. There’s a local saying in Zhongmu: “Dip your cornbread in the paste, and you’ll keep eating and getting fatter!”

　　3. Stir-fried jelly noodles. Kaifeng style, similar to how Old Ma in *1942* made carp noodles for the provincial chairman, or Yanjin style. The method is: add a bit of oil to the pan, heat gently, pour in scallions, jelly noodles, garlic juice with water, and melon bean paste. Stir-fry a few times, add a bit of salt and MSG, cover with the lid, and simmer until cooked through.

　　4. Zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste). Beijing-style (hehe): sauté scallions and ginger in the pan, then add ground pork and melon bean paste, stir-fry in sequence until even. Add water, and once it boils, simmer on low heat for ten minutes. Add a bit of salt and MSG, thicken slightly with starch, and the sauce for zhajiangmian is done. Mix with cooked noodles for a delicious meal.

　　5. Melon bean meat. Add oil to the pan, heat it up, then add sliced cooked meat and stir-fry until it changes color. Then add scallions, ginger, and a bit of salt, stir evenly, add melon bean paste, and pour enough to cover the meat. Steam over a firewood flame for one hour until heated thoroughly for better texture.

　　6. Make a seasoning paste. It can be used directly as a substitute for Sichuan broad bean paste in cooking various dishes, and the taste works well too.

　　Information source: County Tourism Bureau