Chinese Black Beans

Chinese black beans are dried black beans with have a dense meaty texture and umami-rich flavour once cooked.

These Chinese black beans can be boiled until soft to make Chinese black bean soup which works well with pork ribs. The beans are also used to make Chinese fermented black beans – a staple in Chinese cookery which bring intense, salty flavours to dishes. To make fermented beans soak the dried beans in water, steam them until soft and then preserve in salt, spices and ginger until dry.

To use, check for stones then soak the beans in cold water for at least an hour before adding to soups and boiling for another hour until soft. Adding a little baking soda and using a pressure cooker will help the beans to soften quicker.

Ingredients: Black beans