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South China Morning Post
14 hours ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
The history of Chinese miso and why a Hong Kong version is so special
When it comes to miso, the first thing that comes to mind may be the fermented bean paste used in the well-known Japanese miso soup. The Chinese, however, have also long fermented soybeans, creating a similar ingredient known as fermented bean sauce. The use of soybeans was already prominent by the time of Qin Shi Huang , the first emperor of China and the founder of the Qin dynasty (221BC-207BC), but it was in the Shiji – also known as the Records of the Grand Historian – written by historian Sima Qian around 100BC, where trade in fermented bean paste, or 'yellow sauce', was first mentioned. By contrast, miso has been a part of Japanese cuisine since at least the seventh century AD, though its origins are unclear. Some theories suggest it came from China or Korea and was later introduced to Japan. While the paste may have roots elsewhere, miso soup – a Japanese creation – is believed to have emerged during the Kamakura period (1185–1333). Fermented bean paste (right) at Hong Kong sauce maker Yuet Wo, in Sheung Shui. Photo: Yuet Wo Most commercial miso in Japan is made with a mix of soybeans and rice, sometimes with barley or seaweed added in. Traditionally, it is made just with soybeans, which are washed, steamed and shaped into balls by hand before koji mould, derived from rice, is added to induce fermentation.
South China Morning Post
28-04-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
How a fiery conquest in 112BC may have led to decline of the Chinese swamp cypress
A new study has corroborated an account of the Han conquest of the Nanyue kingdom in southern China (203-111BC) by ancient historian Sima Qian. Advertisement The researchers also linked the watershed military campaign to the decline of the Chinese swamp cypress, a tree species which is now critically endangered. Geological evidence, pollen analysis and historical records were analysed to determine how the Han dynasty's riverine warfare tactics reshaped history and the Pearl River Delta's ecosystem more than 2,100 years ago. The findings of the study – led by Sun Weidong from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Oceanology in Qingdao – were published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances on Wednesday. Strikingly, sediment samples from the counties of Gaoyao and Sihui in Guangdong – ancient battlegrounds documented in Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian – showed a stark decline in swamp cypress pollen around 100BC, while there was a spike in charcoal deposits. Advertisement That coincides with the Han's assault on Nanyue's capital, Panyu – modern Guangzhou – when the city was set ablaze.
