In my “Have You Heard of These 5 Fermented Foods from Around the World?” series, I tried a new Chinese recipe called suan jiangdòu, or fermented long beans. This dish was unlike most things I’ve eaten, and I loved its crunchy texture and flavor.

This suan jiangdòu recipe came from Alex, who is originally from China and now resides in Canada. This pickle is a versatile dish, and it can be found almost everywhere throughout China. From fancy restaurants to street vendors, fermented long beans are a delicacy beloved by many in Alex’s country. Throughout his childhood, Alex ate suanjiangdòu often, and he still enjoys this traditional Chinese food today. 

Strong flavors, such as long beans, garlic, carrot, ginger, peppercorns, chili, and salt, come through beautifully. The long bean is a type of cow bean with a really long pod; be sure to eat the pod and the bean together when you make your own suan jiangdòu! It provides the delicious crunch suan jiangdòu is known for. This dish also goes well with many other foods. For instance, it can be used as a condiment for noodles, rice, or congee, and it can sometimes be used as a singular ingredient in other dishes. 

I want to note that the jar of long beans became very cloudy during the fermentation process, and this is normal! Don’t fret that you’ve done anything wrong when you see this, because you’re doing great. The long bean also smells a little funky from the fermentation, but the final product was incredible. I found long beans at a Korean grocery store near me, but if you have an Asian supermarket nearby, I’m sure you’ll find them. They definitely stand out due to their great length! 

This spectacular suan jiangdòu recipe included a passive fermentation process where you set it and forget it, which is one of my favorite ways to cook. The dish itself was easy and delicious, so I hope you’ll try Alex’s favorite childhood food and let us know what you think!