Zhiwu Mingshi Tukao (Vol. 2)

Wood Section, Volume 2

Mountain Black Bean

original: 山黑豆 (Shan Hei Dou). This refers to various species of wild legumes, likely Glycine soja (wild soybean) or similar vining pulses found in the wild across East Asia.

The Famine Relief Herbal original: 救荒本草 (Jiuhuang Bencao). A seminal 15th-century botanical work by Zhu Xiao, a Ming dynasty prince, intended to help people identify edible wild plants during famines. states that the Mountain Black Bean grows in the mountains and wilds of Mi County A county in Henan Province, China.. The sprouts resemble those of the domestic black bean. The leaves grow in clusters of three; the center leaf is large, resembling a common vegetable bean leaf, while the two side leaves are more similar to cultivated black bean leaves and are slightly rounded.

The plant produces small, pinkish flowers. The resulting pods are much thinner and smaller than those of domestic black beans, and the beans themselves are also extremely tiny. The taste is slightly bitter. When the sprouts and leaves are tender, they can be harvested and blanched original: 煠 (zha). A traditional cooking technique of briefly boiling greens and then rinsing them to remove bitterness or toxins. in water to wash away the bitter flavor. They are then seasoned with oil and salt for consumption. When the pods have formed, one may harvest the pods to boil them, or thresh them to collect the beans for food. These are also found in the mountains of Yunnan, where the flowers and fruits are larger and more robust, and the local people harvest them for food.

The Agriculturalist of Yu Lou original: 雩婁農 (Yu Lou Nong). This is a pseudonym for Wu Qijun (1789–1847), a famous Qing dynasty scholar and botanist. says: I once crossed the Yellow River and traveled north. A great wind blew sand against the carriage curtains with a sound like falling hail. When we reached the relay station and the dust had settled, everyone exclaimed that it had "rained beans from heaven" original: 天雨豆 (tian yu dou). A meteorological phenomenon where light seeds or small objects are carried long distances by heavy winds and then deposited.. I hurried to look at them; they were exactly like black beans, small and hard, and did not resemble the varieties produced in the fields. Could it be that in the high cliffs and deep valleys, these hardy grains original: 穡穀 (segu). A term for resilient crops or grains that are harvested with difficulty. grow naturally, accumulating in piles for generations, until they are finally caught by the wind and scattered abroad? However, they were extremely... The text ends mid-sentence as the "catchword" indicates the beginning of the next page.