Small rapeseed with bean paste

Bean paste is a good food or seasoning made from high-quality soybeans soaked, steamed (boiled) and then naturally fermented in Chaoshan area. It has a long history, especially Puning bean paste.
The Chinese nation is one of the oldest nations to brew fermented bean food. This making technique was formed and passed down before the Han Dynasty. According to historical records such as ancient history, modern history, and ancient Chinese medicine treatises, soy products are not only widely used for seasoning, but also used as medicine.
The Chaoshan area has always inherited the culture of the Central Plains. Of course, it has also integrated many local characteristics and has many food making skills."Puning Bean Sauce" is one of them. A long time ago, every household in Puning County had a tradition of brewing bean paste by itself, as a good seasoning for cooking or for making salty meals a day. Especially the Hongyang area has the best production skills and the most delicious taste. Famous far and wide. In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Puning was established as a county. After that, people added the word "Puning" to the bean paste, calling it "Puning bean paste", and slowly established the convention. In the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, busy and complex life changed people's concepts of life. Co-made Puning bean paste sharing began to emerge, and later developed into sauce gardens and sales workshops specializing in the production of Puning bean paste. According to records in the "Puning County Annals" and "Puning Hongyang Supply and Marketing Annals", during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, Puning bean paste was produced on a large scale. Several sauce gardens were established among the people in Hongyang County alone. During the Republic of China, it has developed to more than a dozen sauce gardens. In the 1950s, they embarked on the road of collectivization. Twelve companies, including Hexing and Yuji, formed a joint venture, with an annual output of 1100 tons of bean paste.

The bean paste is golden yellow in color and contains protein, amino acids and reducing sugar. It is mellow, fragrant, and rich in nutrients. Puning bean paste has a salty, fresh and sweet taste. It can be used as a seasoning and cooking seafood, meat, and of course vegetables, especially cooked fish. The more famous dishes include Puning Chicken with Bean Sauce, Puning Bean Sauce Bone, Puning Boiled Mandarin Fish with Bean Sauce, etc. Although Puning bean paste is not a dish, it is a seasoning for many Chaozhou dishes. I am used to frying vegetables at home and adding a little to season it will taste even more delicious.