Compendium of Materia Medica: Raining Beans

The people gathered and ate them. According to the Miscellaneous Records of the Guixin Era original: 癸辛雜識 (Guixin Zhashi). A detailed collection of anecdotes and observations by the Song dynasty scholar Zhou Mi, written in the late 13th century., during the Zhiyuan reign 1264–1294 CE, under the Mongol Yuan Dynasty., it rained "black rice" in Yongjia. In Quanzhou, it rained red beans that were as bright as cinnabar; these were edible and could be cooked as a meal.

According to the Hanyang Prefecture Gazetteer original: 漢陽府志 (Hanyang Fu Zhi). Local records from the Hanyang region, modern-day Wuhan., during the Ming Dynasty, it rained small beans. When the people planted them, the plants grew into vines but never bore any fruit. Furthermore, the districts of Yi, She, and Changshu all experienced "raining beans."

In the Anding area of Gongchang Prefecture, it rained beans that, when broken open, contained a floury substance, though the taste was bitter and astringent. In Shaanxi, it rained black beans; however, those who ate them suffered from blocked Qi original: 氣閉 (qibi). A traditional Chinese medicine term referring to a sudden blockage of the body's vital energy, often manifesting as respiratory distress or digestive stagnation..

In Liuhe, it rained red beans that had two distinct lobes, but they produced a fishy, unpleasant odor when eaten. In Tong’an, the rained beans were flat and small, some yellow and some black; there were those who swept them up until they had collected a full sheng original: 升. A traditional unit of dry volume, roughly equivalent to one liter..

The phenomenon of "raining beans" is a singular category, yet some are edible while others are not. Could it be that some of these are merely "bean-like" objects rather than true beans? Or is the difference in quality used to distinguish between calamity and auspicious omens? original: 災祥 (zaixiang). The traditional belief that unusual natural phenomena were "warnings" or "blessings" from Heaven reflecting the quality of the Emperor's rule.