Learn Chinese

The time-honored brand Wangzhihe was set up in the 8th year of Emperor Kangxi¡¯s reign in the Qing Dynasty or 1669 with a history of 329 years. Wang Zhihe was a successful candidate in the Provincial Examination from Xianyuan County of Anhui Province. In the 8th year of Emperor Kangxi¡¯s reign in the Qing Dynasty (1669), he came to Beijing for the Court Examination but failed and stayed in the city. To make living, he started his bean curt business, and continued to study for the next examination. Once in summer, he had some bean curt left. To prevent them from rotten, he had the bean curt cut into small square pieces and preserved in a pot with salt and Chinese prickly ash seeds. After that he stopped his business and kept on study in hot summer, and forgot the pot. As the cool autumn came, he resumed his business and remembered that. He opened the pot and found the bean curt went dark green with stinky smell. It was a pity to throw it so he tried it. However, it tasted pleasant. He presented it to his neighbors and they all thought it was amazing. After several times of failure in the examination, Wang Zhihe dedicated to his business of Bean Curt with Odor. In the late Qing Dynasty, it was brought into the Imperial Kitchen and served as a daily dish for Empress Dowager Cixi who named it Green Square. Since then, Bean Curt with Odor became popular and valuable.

It is out of Wang Zhihe, the poor scholar¡¯s imagination that the business founded by him could survive for over 300 years and be thriving. After the founding of PRC, Beijing Wangzhihe Preserved Bean Curt Factory was developed on the basis of four private workshops, Wangzhihe, Zhizhonghe, Wangyihe and Wangzhenghe. Over 40 years, the name of the factory changed several times but the flavor remained and variety were added. Nowadays it has more than 20 varieties of three categories such as Green Square, Red Square and White Square. Its brand wins reputation in domestic market and furthermore in overseas. Mr. Okayama from Japan praised that ¡°preserved bean curt is rich of botanic protein, and Wangzhihe is the best¡±; Korean commercial counselor has brought several food experts to Wangzhihe Preserved Ben Curt Factory to study the technique.

Nowadays as a genuine Time-Honored Brand in China, Wangzhihe is preferred by Chinese consumers due to the five features of its products, namely exquisite, smooth, soft, tender and fragrant. As tested, every 100 gram of Wangzhihe Preserved Bean Curt contains enough Amino Acid for the daily demand of an adult, more Calcium, Iron, and Zinc than ordinary foods. It also contains VB1 and VB2, and is of high nutritive value.

In Beijing, Wangzhihe Bean Curt with Odor and Preserved Bean Curt outstand from all other snacks. Wangzhihe Bean Curt with Odor is a traditional delicacy in Old Beijing as a saying goes that “Steamed Corn Bread and Bean Curt with Odor keep you at the table.”

(Source: ebeijing.gov.cn)