Chonglou Black Beans

Chonglou Black Beans

　　　　When winter arrives, people in Taishan enjoy cooking black beans with pork lungs, honey dates, loquat leaves, sand ginseng, northern ginseng, dried tangerine peel, and sliced ginger to make a nourishing soup. This black bean soup moistens the lungs, clears phlegm, and soothes coughs. As such, black beans are a beloved type of bean among the locals. They are mainly grown in areas such as Haiyan, Shalan, Siujiu, and Chonglou, with those from Chonglou being the finest. Chonglou black beans are a famous local specialty. Also known as black soybeans, these beans are as dark as ink and generally come in two types. One type has a flat bean shape, with a black skin that shows some grayish-white patches, and a concave mark on the back — often referred to as a "cow’s footprint." These are considered the genuine variety of black beans, harvested in the eighth lunar month, hence also called "August beans." The other type has rounder beans without any concave marks on the back, can be planted two or three times a year, and is commonly called "three-harvest beans." However, their efficacy is not as good as the first type. (Taishan)