[Sca-cooks] Bean Paste in Soup for the Qan

[Elaine Koogler]

I haven't looked at the reference in "Soup," but believe, along with
Adamantius, that it would be some sort of Chinese fermented bean paste.  I
did try to find a reference in K. C. Chang's "Food in Chinese Culture" but
all I can find is a reference that indicates that fermented beans were used
for seasoning and the indication is that this was done at about the time
when "Soup" would have been written.  If the reference indicates a Chinese
influence, this is probably what is meant...and that it may well have been
used as a seasoning.

Kiri

On Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 7:43 AM, Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius <
adamantius1 at verizon.net> wrote:

>
> On Sep 30, 2008, at 12:12 AM, Lilinah wrote:
>
>  I'm re-re-reading the introductory matter to A Soup for the Qan. The
>> authors mention that recipes for essentially Turkic pasta that include bean
>> paste reflect Chinese influence. However, i don't recall them specifying
>> what kind of bean paste and the index does not list bean paste...
>>
>> There are so many possibilities
>> -- Old World mung beans cooked and mashed
>> -- Old World adzuki beans cooked and mashed
>> -- some sort of fermented bean paste along the lines of Korean jiang or
>> Japanese miso
>> -- some sort of fermented bean paste along the lines of modern Chinese
>> black bean sauce or others
>> (i apologize, but it's been so long since i've cooked Chinese food at home
>> that i don't remember what other Chinese bean thingies are available)
>> -- or something completely different...
>>
>
>
> Since there's no qualification mentioned, and looking at this from a
> Chinese perspective, I'd assume the closest modern equivalent would be
> yellow bean paste, which is at the very mild end of the range of fermented
> mung or soybean products.
>
> It's commonly used as a pastry filling today, like marzipan, but it's also
> sweetened. I'm not sure if the product referred to in ASftQ is freshly made,
> or preserved with salt and/or sugar.
>
> Adamantius
>
>
>
>
> "Most men worry about their own bellies, and other people's souls, when we
> all ought to worry about our own souls, and other people's bellies."
>                        -- Rabbi Israel Salanter
>
>
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