Snack Attack: Cool down with this Chinese soy recipe

When you think of Chinese cuisine, what comes to mind? Is it a regular takeout with a sweet and sour sauce or maybe fried meat with a gravy based sauce? Well, while Chinese food can often be associated with meat dishes like braised pork or kung pao chicken, that’s really not what Chinese food is. In fact, the traditional Chinese diet is made up entirely of vegetables.

This is because people in the past really couldn’t afford to eat a lot of meat, so they often had to turn to everyday vegetables to fill their stomachs with the nutrients they needed to survive. Among the many vegetables that Pekingese would choose to satisfy their hungry bellies in the good old days, one dish, 毛豆 maodouaka Green Soy, really stands out.

In English, maodou are more commonly known by their Japanese name, Edamame. They can be dried, roasted or even sautéed. But here in the capital, we like to eat them straight out of the pod. Pekingese love the natural flavor of these green soybeans, they are slightly firmer than peas and really taste delicious.

I remember when I was a kid, my family served these green soybeans late at night when we watched sports. The most classic way to cook them is lao beijing way, where you boil the beans and mix them with some chilli, salt and soy sauce. You can also add a little Sichuan pepper if you want to give it an extra spicy kick. The final step is to refrigerate the beans until they cool, then pair them with an ice-cold beer of your choice.

Many people might be intimidated by the seemingly complicated process of making Chinese dishes, but this dish is by far one of the easiest to make, so here’s a remodel maodou recipe inspired by the one my mother used to make.

Ingredients
500g fresh green soybeans
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
2 slices of ginger
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon Chinese soy sauce
1 teaspoon of salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups of water

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt, Sichuan peppercorns, cumin, Chinese soy sauce, Chinese five spice powder and bay leaves to the water to season, then add the beans.
2. Return to a boil, add water, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about five to ten minutes.
3. When the beans become soft and yellow, turn off the heat and let them cool for an hour in water to allow the spices to fully soak into the beans.
4. Drain then refrigerate for three to four hours until the beans are completely cooled.

And just like that, this delicious summertime treat is ready to serve!

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Images: Weibo