Bean sprouts are the most common vegetable on the dining tables of ordinary people in China. Whether stir-fried, boiled in soup, juiced, or served cold in a salad, they are an indispensable base for a pot of spicy boiled fish. In many people's minds, bean sprouts might be the "weakling" of the vegetable world, so much so that a slender person might be described as "growing up like a bean sprout." However, don't be fooled by their slender and delicate appearance; they are a treasured delicacy, cherished in both ancient and modern times.
Let's start with their origin. Bean sprouts, along with tofu, soybean paste, and gluten, are known as the "Four Great Inventions of Chinese Food." Because of their crystal-clear, white appearance and slender form, they were praised by people of the Ming Dynasty as "ice-like muscles and jade-like substance" and "the whiskers of a white dragon." Additionally, because they resemble a Ruyi scepter, they are also called "Ruyi Cai" (Ruyi vegetable).
Not only are bean sprouts beautiful in appearance, but they are also a nutritional powerhouse. Li Shizhen recorded in his "Compendium of Materia Medica": "This bean sprout is uniquely white and beautiful. After consumption, it clears the mind and nourishes the body, and has the effect of 'detoxifying from alcohol and heat, and benefiting the triple burner'."
In traditional Chinese medicine texts, soybean sprouts are listed as the number one longevity-promoting food, while mung bean sprouts rank sixth.
Professor Cheng Yiyong, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Nutrition Society, pointed out that compared to the beans before germination, bean sprouts not only change in appearance but also undergo a series of biochemical reactions, significantly increasing their nutritional value and bioavailability. The most典型 example is that dried beans contain almost no vitamin C, but after germination, the vitamin C content in bean sprouts increases dramatically, which can maintain skin elasticity and prevent skin from aging and wrinkling. Additionally, they contain vitamin E, which can prevent skin pigmentation and eliminate skin spots, making them a true beauty elixir.
Speaking of the types of bean sprouts, Cheng Yiyong introduced: Common types include soybean sprouts and mung bean sprouts, as well as black bean sprouts, broad bean sprouts, and pea sprouts. Among them, soybean sprouts indeed have the highest nutritional value. During the germination process of soybeans, the action of enzymes releases more calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc. In particular, aspartic acid increases significantly, which can reduce lactic acid buildup in the human body and relieve fatigue.
However, these beautiful and wise bean sprouts are also delicate "young ladies." Many people like to blanch and then serve them cold in a salad, a practice that Professor Cheng Yiyong strongly disagrees with: "High temperature is the enemy of vitamins. Blanching in hot water is absolutely out of the question. It's best to blanch them briefly and then remove them from the heat. Even if you are going to cook them, you must use high heat and stir-fry quickly to minimize the loss of vitamins."