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Beijing douzhi
Dòuzhī (豆汁): Beijing's sour fermented mung bean drink, made at home
Douzhi is the most famous acquired taste in Beijing: a hot, grey-green, sour drink made from the liquid left when mung beans are ground for starch, then fermented. Old Beijingers sip it at breakfast with crisp jiaoquan rings and shredded salted mustard pickles, and visitors either love it or never try it twice. At home you make a small batch by blending mung beans, settling out the starch and fermenting the cloudy water for a day. The mistake is letting it boil hard: it separates into watery and thick layers, so keep it at a gentle bubble. It must smell cleanly sour like yogurt; throw it away if it smells rotten, has mould, or turns pink or slimy. Chef's tip: stir it continuously as it heats and add a splash of the thinner liquid at the end, which keeps the classic smooth, slightly thick texture.
- Total time
- 1440 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 7 oz dried mung beanssoaked in cold water overnight
- 1.5 litres waterplus extra for heating
- 2 ⅛ oz salted mustard tuber or turnip pickleshredded, to serve
- 1 tsp chilli oil (optional)to serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz dried mung beans and blend with 1 litre of the 1.5 litres water for 3 minutes until very fine. Strain through a muslin-lined sieve into a clean bowl, squeezing well; discard the pulp.
Step 2: Leave the liquid to stand for 1 hour until a white starch layer settles. Carefully pour the cloudy greenish liquid into a clean jar, leaving the starch behind (dry it for another use or discard it).
Step 3: Add the remaining 500 ml of water, cover loosely with a cloth and leave at room temperature (20–77°F) for 18–24 hours, until it smells pleasantly sour and small bubbles rise. Check it smells clean; discard if it smells rotten or shows mould.
Step 4: When it has fermented, chill and use within 2 days. To serve, pour 400 ml into a saucepan and heat over a medium-low heat, stirring all the time, until it just starts to bubble at the edge. Do not let it boil hard.
8 minStep 5: Pour into bowls and serve hot with 2 ⅛ oz salted mustard tuber or turnip pickle dressed with 1 tsp chilli oil, and fried dough rings on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 70 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does beijing douzhi take?
- About 1440 minutes in total: 1410 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
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