Bengdou Zhang

Bengdou Zhang

　　Bengdou Zhang is the most famous private enterprise in Tianjin specializing in the production and sale of various bean-based dried snack foods. The company consists of a flagship store, a branch store, and a processing factory, employing over sixty staff members. The flagship store is located in Nanshi Food Street. Bengdou Zhang’s traditional products originated during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, boasting a history of over 240 years. In 1993, it was designated as a “China Time-Honored Brand” by the Ministry of Internal Trade. In 1990, it was chosen as an official product for the 11th Asian Games in Beijing and received various honors.

　　Bengdou Zhang is the most famous private enterprise in Tianjin specializing in the production and sale of various bean-based dried snack foods  Bengdou Zhang

　　. The company consists of a flagship store, a branch store, and a processing factory, employing over sixty people. The flagship store is located in Nanshi Food Street, with a branch in Guwenhua Street and a processing plant in Wangdingdi. It produces a variety of products including Hupi Zhengxiang Bengdou (cracked skin fragrant bean), peeled stuffed Bengdou, osmanthus crisp Bengdou, pea yellow, three-bean cold cake, rock sugar cream beans, rock sugar mixed-flavor beans, children’s pearl beans, and peeled spicy beans. These are categorized into high, medium, and low grades, totaling 16 major categories and 76 varieties. The products are popular in Tianjin, Beijing, Wuhan, Nanjing, Guiyang, Hangzhou, Hefei, Dalian, and other cities. In 1990, as a featured, special, premium, and new product of Tianjin, it was designated for exhibition and sale in Beijing during the Asian Games. Bengdou Zhang is a time-honored brand. As early as the late Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, its founder Zhang Decai worked as a chef in the imperial kitchen of the Qing court. At that time, emperors, nobles, and aristocrats in the imperial palace and noble mansions often desired snacks to munch on after meals. Through dedicated research and practice, Zhang Decai developed a variety of flavored dried bean products, such as Hupi Zhengxiang Bengdou, pea yellow, three-bean cold cake, as well as nuts and seeds. Additionally, for festive banquets, he created special ceremonial offerings like Jiulong Gongshou (Nine Dragons Offering Longevity), Magu Xianshou (Goddess Magu Offering Longevity), and Longfeng Chengxiang (Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Prosperity). Among these, Hupi Zhengxiang Bengdou was particularly favored by the nobility. Originally called Heipi Bengdou (Black Skin Bean), Hupi Zhengxiang Bengdou is made with five external ingredients (cinnamon, star anise, fennel, scallion, and salt) and five internal ingredients (licorice, fritillaria, angelica dahurica, angelica sinensis, and schisandra), along with chicken, duck, lamb, and bat feces (ye ming sha). The bean has a shiny blackish-yellow, tiger-skin-like appearance with swollen, cracked surfaces but no sandiness or grittiness. It is crispy yet not hard, rich in five-spice flavor, turns smooth after prolonged chewing, fills the mouth with fragrance, and leaves a lingering aftertaste. It also contains various nutrients, including 29% protein, 47% carbohydrates, calcium, iron, phosphorus, low fat, no cholesterol, and aids digestion and health. Even Yuan Shikai, who reigned as emperor for only 83 days, loved this bean. [1]

　　Edit Section: Development

　　　　The traditional products of Bengdou Zhang originated during the Jiaqing era, with a history of over 240 years. The founder, Zhang Decai, worked in the imperial kitchen, Bengdou Zhang

　　, specializing in dried fruits and bean snacks. During the Jiaqing era, the second-generation successor, Zhang Yongtai, inherited the family business and created over seventy unique, flavorful, sweet, fragrant, salty, and stuffed bean snacks such as Hupi Zhengxiang Bengdou, Huipi Suxiang Guoren (Grey Skin Plain Fragrant Nuts), and Qimei Xiangguazi (Seven-Flavor Fragrant Melon Seeds). These gained deep favor among the imperial family, earning the name Bengdou Zhang. The third-generation successor, Zhang Xiang, brought these originally imperial snacks to the public, opening multiple shops in Nanshi and Laocheng districts of Tianjin, including Lao Defa and Lao Decheng. The fourth-generation Zhang Guohua began learning the craft from his father at age twelve, mastering all ancestral skills. He established factories and stores on Binjiang Road and behind the church, operating under the name Bengdou Zhang. The fifth-generation Zhang Youquan and his four brothers, aiming to further promote the family legacy, founded Bengdou Zhang Food Co., Ltd. in Nanshi Food Street—the internationally renowned food street—under the recommendation of the Tianjin municipal government. In 1993, it was named a China Time-Honored Brand. Their products are divided into upper, middle, and lower grades, with nearly 20 major categories and over 80 varieties. Thanks to Bengdou Zhang’s consistent focus on quality and reputation, it was chosen as an official product for the 11th Asian Games in 1990 and received various accolades. In the early 21st century, Bengdou Zhang’s snack foods gained widespread fame, becoming popular not only in Tianjin and across China but also exported overseas.

　　Edit Section: Origins

　　　　Bengdou Zhang is a time-honored brand. As early as the late Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, the founder Zhang Decai, Bengdou Zhang

　　, worked in the imperial kitchen. At that time, emperors, nobles, and aristocrats in the imperial palace and noble mansions often desired snacks to munch on after meals. Through dedicated research and practice, Zhang Decai developed a variety of flavored dried bean products, such as Hupi Zhengxiang Bengdou, pea yellow, three-bean cold cake, as well as nuts and seeds. Additionally, for festive banquets, he created special ceremonial offerings like Jiulong Gongshou, Magu Xianshou, and Longfeng Chengxiang. Among these, Hupi Zhengxiang Bengdou was particularly favored by the nobility. Originally called Heipi Bengdou (Black Skin Bean), Hupi Zhengxiang Bengdou is made with five external ingredients (cinnamon, star anise, fennel, scallion, and salt) and five internal ingredients (licorice, fritillaria, angelica dahurica, angelica sinensis, and schisandra), along with chicken, duck, lamb, and bat feces. The bean has a shiny blackish-yellow, tiger-skin-like appearance with swollen, cracked surfaces but no sandiness or grittiness. It is crispy yet not hard, rich in five-spice flavor, turns smooth after prolonged chewing, fills the mouth with fragrance, and leaves a lingering aftertaste. It also contains various nutrients, including 29% protein, 47% carbohydrates, calcium, iron, phosphorus, low fat, no cholesterol, and aids digestion and health. Even Yuan Shikai, who reigned as emperor for only 83 days, loved this bean.

　　Edit Section: Current Status

　　　　The fourth-generation successor, Zhang Guohua, started learning the craft from his father at age 14. He built factories and stores on Binjiang Road and behind the church and managed the business before 1949 under the Bengdou Zhang name. In 1956, during the public-private partnership movement, he transferred to work at the Heping District Dried Fruit Processing Factory. During the Cultural Revolution, Bengdou Zhang products were labeled as “Four Olds” and he was forced to resign, leading to an interruption in production. After the Cultural Revolution ended in 1983, the winds of reform and opening-up reinvigorated Zhang Guohua. To promote China’s ancient and outstanding food culture, he revived the ancestral bean snack business. In 1985, with the special approval and support of then-Tianjin Mayor Li Ruihuan, a storefront was set up in Nanshi Food Street. Products included Hupi Zhengxiang Bengdou, peeled sweet Bengdou, peeled stuffed Bengdou, osmanthus crisp Bengdou, pea yellow, three-bean cold cake, rock sugar cream beans, rock sugar mixed-flavor beans, children’s pearl beans, and peeled spicy Bengdou. These were divided into upper, middle, and lower grades, covering nearly 20 major categories and over 80 varieties. Through the efforts of several generations, continuous innovation has made the Bengdou Zhang brand widely recognized and beloved. The uniquely flavored snacks have been hailed as “culinary masterpieces” by domestic and international visitors. Tianjin Bengdou Zhang Food Co., Ltd. is committed to innovating new products that meet customer needs while maintaining its leadership in the market, centered around the Bengdou Zhang legacy.

　　Edit Section: Products

　　　　Products are divided into upper, middle, and lower grades, with nearly 20 major categories and over 80 varieties. Main items include Bengdou (beans), Bengdou Zhang

　　, flat bean fruit, fried black beans, fried black-yellow beans, deep-fried black-yellow beans, fried soybeans, fried green beans, bean fruits (10 flavors), mixed-flavor beans, Hupi (cracked skin), mixed beans, mustard beans, open-mouth beans, thirteen-spice beans, sugar-coated green beans, sugar-coated jade belt beans, jade belt beans, and various gift sets. Hupi Zhengxiang Bengdou, originally called Heipi Bengdou (Black Skin Bean), is made with five external ingredients (cinnamon, star anise, fennel, scallion, and salt) and five internal ingredients (licorice, fritillaria, angelica dahurica, angelica sinensis, and schisandra), along with chicken, duck, lamb, and bat feces. The bean has a shiny blackish-yellow, tiger-skin-like appearance with swollen, cracked surfaces but no sandiness or grittiness. It is crispy yet not hard, rich in five-spice flavor, turns smooth after prolonged chewing, fills the mouth with fragrance, and leaves a lingering aftertaste. It also contains various nutrients, including 29% protein, 47% carbohydrates, calcium, iron, phosphorus, low fat, no cholesterol, and aids digestion and health.

　　Edit Section: History

　　　　In 1985, Yuan Shikai’s daughter mentioned in her article “My Father Yuan Shikai” for World Panorama: “After my father fell from power, he often had family members buy Hupi Zhengxiang Bengdou for him.” This shows that Bengdou Zhang truly lives up to its reputation. During the Xianfeng era, Zhang Decai passed away, and the second-generation successor, Zhang Yongtai, along with his two brothers and their families, returned to Tianjin. This imperial snack was also brought to Tianjin. The Zhang brothers established the main Bengdou Zhang store and opened two branches—Yongtai Cheng and Yongde Cheng—in Chengdong Dinggong Temple and Xiaoyao Wang Temple, producing and selling various bean-based dried snacks. From then on, Bengdou Zhang became widely known in Tianjin. During the Guangxu era, the third-generation successor, Zhang Xiang, and his brother inherited the business and successively established stores such as Lao Defa, Lao Decheng, Lao Laicai, Lao Laifu, and Lao Zhang Ji on Nanshi Jianwu Street and Daluotian (now next to Tianjin Daily), producing and selling flavored bean snacks. The fourth-generation successor, Zhang Guohua, began learning the craft from his father at fourteen. After 1939 (the 28th year of the Republic of China), he assisted his father at the Bengdou Zhang and Lao Zhang Ji stores on Binjiang Road (now next to Daoxiang Village) and behind the church, mastering the ancestral techniques. Before liberation, he took over Lao Zhang Ji and served as manager. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, during the 1956 public-private partnership, Zhang Guohua transferred to become the factory director of Heping District Dried Fruit Processing Factory and retired in 1983. The fifth-generation successors are Zhang Fuquan, Zhang Zhenquan, Zhang Xiangquan, Zhang Youquan, and Zhang Daquan. In 1985, Bengdou Zhang was among the first to reopen in Nanshi Food Street, reviving the time-honored brand. Under Zhang Guohua’s leadership, Bengdou Zhang maintained its traditional flavors and characteristics, winning the loyalty of many customers.