Black Bean Leaf Vegetable

Black Bean Leaf Vegetable

　　Mountain fields sow beans, fearing sparse sprouts; farming folk toil, cursing hunger’s pangs.

Tax rents paid in chaff-filled earthen jars, preserved greens endure bitter herbs and wild vines.

New grain fills the fields, round with white dew.

Early, bean blossoms wither; late, leaves yellow and fall.

Anxiety grips the young wives, who hide morning bundles in thick grass.

Gathered in threes or fives, each clutching a bamboo basket.

Not ornamental hampers but overgrown paths and chilly clothes. ⟦10⟹ Step by step through green fields, plucking tendrils as slender as fingers.

Step by step through the green fields, plucking slender fingers of growth.

Laughter echoes across flat fields, farming chats by hedgerows.

Husbands chop firewood, mountains fertile as they boil greens, candles replaced by firewood all night.

Middle wives sharpen knives, shred leaves fine; by streams they wash, drain by eaves.

Hugging jars, they eke out days, sipping broth to see the year through.

In peaceful times, songs praise imperial grace; in simple customs, food remains hard-won.

Fortunate under clean officials, the people rest.

On plates, dumplings gain richness from roots; joy overflows in year-end kitchen delicacies.

This is a Qing Dynasty poem by Li Zhengyuan, describing the process of fermenting black bean leaf vegetable. It vividly depicts the intense scene of rural families making the dish and expresses deep affection for local food traditions. Black bean leaf vegetable is a type of pickled dish commonly eaten by rural households in the old Pingding County area. In the old society, there was a saying: “Half fields, half water, nine parts mountain; bran and greens make up half the year’s food.” Bran refers to rice husks, and the “greens” here refer to the sour pickled vegetable made from black bean leaves. Legend has it that the custom of eating bean leaves dates back to the time of Duke Xian of Jin.

Every autumn, locals in the Pingding area begin their annual winter preparations. First, fresh green bean leaves are harvested and air-dried in ventilated areas. The leaves are then finely shredded, blanched in boiling water, cooled in cold water, and placed in large baskets. A heavy cutting board is placed on top of the greens, with stones on the board to press out all moisture. The drained leaves are packed tightly into earthen jars and pressed down with a large stone. Finally, water and rice gruel are added to start the fermentation process.

The fermented black bean leaf vegetable can be used for stir-frying, soup-making, or cooking rice, and it also offers medicinal benefits such as cooling the body, quenching thirst, reducing inflammation, and clearing heat. Pingding natives working away from home always ask if there’s any black bean leaf vegetable when they return. No matter where they go, mention this unique pickle, and they’ll eagerly recount its story with great enthusiasm.