Soybean Juice 豆汁儿（dòu zhī er）
When it comes to Beijing street food, the first thing that comes to mind is Soybean Juice . Beijingers love drinking Soybean Juice and consider it a form of enjoyment. However, the first time you try Soybean Juice , its odor resembling swill can be hard to swallow. But after holding your nose and drinking it a couple of times, the experience becomes different. Some people even become addicted, constantly seeking it out, willing to wait in queues just to have a taste.
Soybean Juice is a unique and traditional snack with a history of over 300 years in old Beijing. It is made from fermented residue left after extracting starch from mung beans to produce foods like noodles. Soybean Juice is known for its stomach-nourishing, detoxifying, and heat-clearing effects.
Soybean Juice has a long history and was said to have been popular in the Beijing region as early as the Liao and Song dynasties. It became a beverage enjoyed in the imperial court during the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty. In the 18th year of the Qianlong reign (1754), someone presented a memorial to the court mentioning Soybean Juice：“近日新兴豆汁一物，已派伊立布检查，是否清洁可饮，如无不洁之物，着蕴布募豆汁匠二三名，派在御膳房当差。”As a result, the Soybean Juice that originated from the common people became a delicacy in the imperial court. Emperor Qianlong instructed his officials to introduce Soybean Juice into the palace and gathered his ministers to taste this popular beverage. The response was unanimously positive with all the ministers giving it their approval. And so, Soybean Juice became a beverage enjoyed in the imperial court.
Some say that Soybean Juice was primarily consumed by the old Manchu people, but in reality, the love for Soybean Juice transcends ethnic boundaries and is not limited to any specific social class. In the past, if someone of respectable attire sat at a stall eating stuffed sausages or sheep’s intestines, they would be mocked. However, drinking Soybean Juice at a stall was not considered shameful.
The sellers of Soybean Juice would typically bring raw bean juice from the flour mill and cook it on-site at the temple. They would set up a long table with four large glass covers: one containing spicy pickled vegetables, another holding dried radish, another with sesame paste baked buns and “horse hooves” (another type of bun shaped like a horse hoof, hence the name, which can be either salt and pepper flavored or have two layers of dough), and the last one filled with fried dough rings called “xiao jiao quan.” The table would be covered with a snow-white tablecloth and decorated with a blue cloth surround, adorned with patterns made from white fabric indicating the name “× Ji Soybean Juice” . In the summer, they would also set up a canopy to provide shade from the scorching sun.
The vendors usually consisted of one or two individuals who continually called out to passersby, saying, “Please come over! We have hot baked buns, hot fried dough, and there’s a seat inside.”
Soybean Juice is a popular winter and spring snack in Beijing, known for its unique flavor. It has a gray-green color and a thick and rich consistency, with a slightly sour and sweet taste. It holds a special place in the hearts of old Beijing residents. In the past, there were two types of Soybean Juice vendors: those who sold it raw and those who sold it cooked. The raw Soybean Juice sellers often used wooden barrel carts, selling it alongside sesame tofu. The cooked Soybean Juice sellers would carry a pot of Soybean Juice on one shoulder while displaying fried dough rings, twisted dough sticks, and spicy pickled vegetables on the other side.
In the poem “Yandu xiao shi ping za yong,” it is mentioned：“糟粕居然可作粥，老浆风味论稀稠。无分男女齐来坐，适口酸盐各一瓯。”and：“得味在酸咸之外，食者自知，可谓精妙绝伦。”
When drinking Soybean Juice, it is necessary to have finely chopped pickled vegetables. In the summer, people usually use radish, but those who pay attention to details prefer finely shredded pickled mustard greens soaked in brine. They mix it with chili oil and enjoy it alongside crispy golden fried dough rings. This combination creates a unique and distinctive flavor.
Soybean Juice, is a traditional Beijing snack made from the byproduct of making mung bean starch or vermicelli. Raw Soybean Juice, is prepared by soaking mung beans in water and grinding them. The mixture is then treated with acid to increase the viscosity of the suspension, allowing fine starch particles to float to the surface for separation (to increase starch yield). The liquid left in the middle is the raw Soybean Juice,.Soybean Juice, typically has a sour taste with a slight bitterness and a mild acidic aroma.
Despite its unremarkable appearance, Soybean Juice has always been beloved by people in Beijing and is rich in protein, vitamin C, dietary fiber, and sugar.
Here is the recipe for Soybean Juice:
1.Clean and wash the mung beans to remove impurities. Soak them in cool water (use warm water during winter) in a bowl for about ten hours. Once the bean skins easily come off when twisted, remove them from the water. Grind the beans with water to make a thin paste (the finer, the better). Approximately 2.65 kilograms of thin paste can be obtained from one kilogram of mung beans. Then, add 1.5 kilograms of starch water (the clear water separated during previous Douzhi or starch production) to the thin paste. Gradually add at least 12 kilograms of cold water while filtering it. This process should yield around 17 kilograms of slurry and 2 kilograms of bean dregs.
2.Pour the slurry into a large vat and let it settle overnight. The white starch will settle at the bottom of the vat, followed by a layer of grey-brown black powder, then a thicker greenish-grey layer of raw Soybean Juice, and finally foam and starch water on top. Remove the foam and starch water, and scoop out the raw Soybean Juice (around 8 kilograms can be obtained, along with approximately 500 grams of starch and a small amount of black powder). Before cooking, the raw Soybean Juice needs to settle again. In summer, let it settle for six hours, while in winter, let it settle overnight. After settling, remove the starch water from the top.
3.Add a little cold water in a pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Pour in the raw Soybean Juice. When the Soybean Juice starts to rise and almost overflows, immediately reduce the heat to low (do not use high heat, as it will result in the formation of sesame tofu). Keep the Soybean Juice warm and serve it immediately, accompanied by spicy pickled vegetables.
The production method and taste of Beijing Soybean Juice have undergone several evolutions throughout history. The initial Soybean Juice was made from fermented mung beans and red beans, resulting in a sour and astringent taste that was not widely appreciated. To improve the flavor, people began to experiment with adding other ingredients. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Soybean Juice made with the addition of millet and peanuts became popular, offering a richer taste. Furthermore, some Soybean Juice shops would customize the seasoning and ingredients based on customers’ preferences, incorporating different condiments such as salt, vinegar, chili, sesame, etc., resulting in a more diverse flavor profile for Soybean Juice.
Soybean Juice is not just a traditional snack in old Beijing; it represents the soul of this city’s rich and diverse culinary culture. Whether in the bustling Wangfujing area or the alleys filled with the flavor of old Beijing, you can find unique Soybean Juice stalls. Each cup of Soybean Juice is like a miniature representation of the passion and dedication of old Beijing, meticulously brewed to achieve the perfect balance, with a bright and translucent amber color. The rich taste is like the love and persistence of the Beijing people towards life, which is more and more delicious as you taste it.
Now, let’s try tasting a cup of Soybean Juice and savor the rich flavor of old Beijing’s Soybean Juice：Traditional Beijing Soybean Juice