flipMillet Porridge with Fermented Black Beans (粟米粥, sù mǐ zhōu)
Millet Porridge with Fermented Black Beans (粟米粥, sù mǐ zhōu)
Why this dish? In the Northern Song north, around Kaifeng where Bi Sheng carved and sorted his clay type, millet was the grain of the poor and the artisan alike. A bowl of hot porridge, quickly made over the ceramic kiln fire, warmed him before a long day of aligning his signs in the iron frame.
A golden millet porridge, soft and comforting, lifted by a spoonful of fermented black beans, a few stalks of pickled vegetables, and a drizzle of sesame oil. The humblest, most everyday dish, but made profound by douchi.
You see, before the light falls just right on my iron plate, I need something warm in my belly, for aligning a thousand clay characters requires a steady hand. I set the millet to burst in water on the embers of the kiln, very gently, as one lets clay harden: without haste, else it sticks. At the last moment I crush two or three fermented black beans in the bottom of the bowl — a little is enough, it's as potent as the smell of pine resin I melt to fix my type. Eat it steaming, friend, and your day will hold straight.
- •Hulled millet — one bowl (grain foundation)
- •Spring water — as needed (cooking liquid)
- •Fermented black soybeans (douchi) — a pinch (salty umami)
- •Pickled vegetables (mustard greens, turnip) — a few stalks (tangy garnish)
- •Scallion — one sprig (freshness)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Millet Porridge with Fermented Black Beans (粟米粥, sù mǐ zhōu)
A golden millet porridge, soft and comforting, lifted by a spoonful of fermented black beans, a few stalks of pickled vegetables, and a drizzle of sesame oil. The humblest, most everyday dish, but made profound by douchi.
Why this dish? In the Northern Song north, around Kaifeng where Bi Sheng carved and sorted his clay type, millet was the grain of the poor and the artisan alike. A bowl of hot porridge, quickly made over the ceramic kiln fire, warmed him before a long day of aligning his signs in the iron frame.
You see, before the light falls just right on my iron plate, I need something warm in my belly, for aligning a thousand clay characters requires a steady hand. I set the millet to burst in water on the embers of the kiln, very gently, as one lets clay harden: without haste, else it sticks. At the last moment I crush two or three fermented black beans in the bottom of the bowl — a little is enough, it's as potent as the smell of pine resin I melt to fix my type. Eat it steaming, friend, and your day will hold straight.
Ingredients (period version)
- Hulled millet — one bowl (grain foundation)
- Spring water — as needed (cooking liquid)
- Fermented black soybeans (douchi) — a pinch (salty umami)
- Pickled vegetables (mustard greens, turnip) — a few stalks (tangy garnish)
- Scallion — one sprig (freshness)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Millet (grain) — 150 g (grain foundation)
- Water — 1.2 L (cooking liquid)
- Chinese fermented black beans (douchi) — 1 tbsp, rinsed and crushed (salty umami)
- Lacto-fermented vegetables (see recipe r5, or store-bought pickled mustard greens) — 2 tbsp, sliced (tangy garnish)
- Scallion — 1 stalk, sliced (freshness)
- Toasted sesame oil — 1 tsp (final aroma)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Rinse the millet in clear water until the water runs almost clear.
- Pour it into a large pot with the water, bring to a boil, then reduce to very low heat.
- Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until creamy and the grains have burst open.
- Rinse the fermented black beans quickly, crush them roughly, and stir in at the end of cooking; salt very lightly (the douchi is already salty).
- Ladle into bowls, top with sliced fermented vegetables and scallion, finish with a drizzle of sesame oil. Serve piping hot.
How it was made : Grain porridge (粥, zhōu) has been the pillar of Chinese diet for millennia; in the arid Song north, millet (粟) preceded rice as the climate-adapted staple. Douchi, attested since the Han and described in the agricultural treatise *Qimin Yaoshu* (6th century), remained under the Song the basic fermented condiment of modest households, stored in jars year-round.
The contemporary twist : Serve it in a dark brown jian-style tea bowl, place the black beans in a small central mound, and name the dish "the engraver's porridge" — a nod to the characters Bi Sheng also arranged in neat little compartments.
Sources : Jia Sixie, Qimin Yaoshu (齐民要术), 6th cent. — methods for fermenting douchi and preserving grains · Meng Yuanlao, Dongjing Meng Hua Lu (东京梦华录), c. 1147 — food culture of Kaifeng/Bianjing
Bi Sheng · Charactorium
