Zhaotong Mung Bean Jelly

Zhaotong Mung Bean Jelly

　　Zhaotong Mung Bean Jelly

　　Zhaotong mung bean jelly, like Zhaotong potatoes, is also a long-standing staple in the everyday lives of ordinary people. The process of making mung bean jelly is simple: dry mung beans are dehulled and soaked, then ground into a slurry with water. After filtering and boiling into a paste, it is cooled until it solidifies. In Zhaotong, judging from place names, the jelly from Dalong Cave and the hot jelly from Yanshan are quite famous; in terms of ingredients, there are corn jelly, buckwheat jelly, and mung bean jelly. Among them, mung bean jelly dominates, occupying most of the “jelly market.”

　　Soak golden mung beans until they are thoroughly wet, rinse them clean, then grind them into a slurry and boil. Once cooked, pour the mixture into a basin to cool and solidify. Then, place the prepared jelly on a cutting board and gently scrape it with a special iron tool shaped like a colander. Strips of jelly emerge through the tiny holes like little fish, which are then scooped into a bowl. Add fragrant oil, chopped scallions, coriander, garlic water, chili oil, and homemade sour soup — and a visually and aromatically delightful bowl of mung bean jelly is ready. The gray-green jelly, paired with white sour napa cabbage, green scallions and coriander, bright red chili oil, and brownish mushroom pieces, is simply irresistible. Mix all the condiments together with chopsticks, and the aroma wafts up. Aside from the rich bean flavor, another standout feature is its excellent texture and firmness, making it highly storable.