You know those amazing green beans that you can find on most Chinese buffets anywhere you go? The ones that are slightly crunchy yet fully cooked with a light sauce that is out of this world? Well, those are my faves. I make a bee line straight to the beans every time I go and pile them sky high til they are falling off my plate on the walk back to my table.
I haven't always loved them so. In fact, it was my sister-in-law, Joicey Poo, who introduced them to me for the first time many many years ago. All three of us Holden girl wives went on a little weekend retreat to a women's conference with our mother in law and my mom. Now, I have always loved Joice from the start but two things made me wonder about her that weekend. First, she went on this retreat on her way home from her honeymoon! She hadn't even been home yet and she piled in with us…all the women in her new family she inherited 5 days earlier…and off we went 4 hours away for 2 nights. And secondly ….when we went out to eat that night for Chinese, out of all the yummy deep fried stuff covered in amazing sauces she comes back with a plate full of green beans. Green beans!?? I couldn't imagine? She chose green beans over sweet and sour chicken?
Well ironically, years later when I finally tried them myself when I was on a diet and needed to cut back on the fried biscuits dipped in sugar, I discovered what Joicey-Poo has known all along. Those green beans are the bomb diggity. I can't get enough of them when I go. (those and the coconut macaroons but lets not talk about those.) So this started my quest in trying to figure out how to make them at home. And I'm happy to say that Nick finally figured it out for me and now I'm gonna share this happy news with y'all.
First you got to start off with fresh green beans.
This is a must if you want them perfectly cooked yet still slightly crunchy.
I recommend cutting the tips off the beans but you don't have to.
I didn't in these pics but have started doing that the last several times I cooked them.
Now…hold on to your black yoga pants.
Here are the secret ingredients to that light sauce that makes them taste sooo good.
Oyster sauce and honey.
Now don't tune out if you think the word oyster is just disgusting and that any kind of sauce made from it must be from the devil. I'm telling you, it's good stuff. It doesn't taste like you're eating oysters. I'm not a huge oyster fan myself but love cooking with this stuff. It's just a super rich and wonderful flavor that you need to have in your life. We have begun to use in a lot of our dishes. And when you add the honey, the two flavors come together perfectly.
Now I'm not a measurer when I'm cooking. I just do it by taste and looks. This is why I don't put recipes on here much. I realize that frustrates some of you. It does my girls too and that's why they now call their daddy when they want a recipe because he's so good with details. Me, not so much.
I start with some olive oil. It barely covers the bottom of the pan…like just enough to coat the beans when I toss them around. (sometimes I use a little sesame oil with it but it's not necessary if you don't already have any) I mince two toes of garlic and throw that in there with the green beans. I stir them and add salt and a little garlic powder. ( we like garlic)
After they have cooked for a few minutes and start to lose that raw bean taste. ( you will have to sample a few as you cook), then I drizzle the oyster sauce and honey. I have no idea how much to tell you. Drizzle enough that all the beans are covered once you stir them up. More oyster sauce than honey.
Now just keep stirring these on med to high heat until the beans are the right texture for you.
Some people like them crispy. Some like them cooked down a little more.
Then serve them up while they are nice and hot.
I can honestly say I've almost eaten my weight in these beans.
Which is better than the Flaming Hot Cheetos that I used to consume in the same matter.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Happy Friday! I hope you have a great weekend.
FAQs
We call green beans 四季豆, which means four season bean or year bean! It's the most common name for this bean in the southern region of China.
What are Chinese green beans called? ›
Also called yardlong beans or Chinese long beans, these green beans are my favorite because of their firmness and crunch. Typically, this dish is made with potatoes, but when I was younger I used to actually pick the potatoes off because the green beans were that good (and I LOVE potatoes).
What temperature should green beans be on a buffet? ›
Take Temperatures
Hot foods should be kept at an internal temperature of 140 °F or warmer. Use a food thermometer to check. Serve or keep food hot in chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays.
Are Chinese long beans like green beans? ›
Long beans taste similar to green beans, but their texture is distinct. A green bean is pleasingly crisp when fresh and raw or quickly steamed and immediately cooled (and, as I reported a few weeks ago, sticks to your shirt when fresh). The long bean is floppy and – well – long.
What is the green herb in Chinese cooking? ›
Chinese chives, also known as 'garlic chives' have flat dark green leaves with white flowers. Tasting a cross between mellow garlic and chives, the leaves and flowers are perfect for adding to stir-fries at the end of cooking, in soups or as dumpling fillings.
What is the green long Chinese vegetable? ›
Chinese Water spinach is a long, leafy green vegetable with hollow stems that is grown in water or damp soil. It also goes by the name of ong choy in Cantonese or kōng xīn cài (空心菜) in Mandarin, which translates to “hollow heart vegetable.”
What kind of beans do Chinese people eat? ›
Here are the 6 common ones you should try!
- Soybean. Native to East Asia, the soybean has long since become practically inseparable from Asian cuisines. ...
- Long bean. Also known as yardlong bean and snake bean, the long bean is always enjoyed in their stalk-like pods. ...
- Mung Bean. ...
- Red Bean. ...
- Snow peas. ...
- Chickpeas. ...
- Honorary Mentions.
Edamame are delicious young green soybeans, often served in Japanese restaurants and izakaya pubs before entrees and main courses. They are most commonly eaten directly from the pod with a little salt, and you are sure to love them as much as the Japanese do.
Where did Chinese green beans come from? ›
This crop was recorded in Chinese literature as early as the Song Dynasty in 1008 CE, though China as the origin of long bean is not completely established. This crop is also considered to have originated from tropical Africa because wild species of Vigna can be found there (Yamaguchi 1983).
Should you rinse canned green beans before cooking? ›
Unless the recipe tells you to keep the canned beans in their liquid, you should drain your can and give the beans a good rinse before using. This will improve the flavor and texture of your finished dish. Open your cans of beans using a can opener. There may be sharp edges from opening the can.
Stick to the "two-hour rule" for leaving items needing refrigeration out at room temperature. Never allow meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or produce or other foods that require refrigeration to sit at room temperature for more than two hours—one hour if the air temperature is above 90° F.
Can you overcook green beans? ›
Don't overcook them!
Nothing is worse than a mushy, overcooked green bean. Crisp and slightly tender beans is the goal. To achieve this, taste a bean or two during the cooking process. If it is too crispy for you, keep cooking, testing another green bean in a minute or two.
What are the long skinny green beans called? ›
Ever see those skinny little green beans in the market? They're a French variety of green bean, also known as haricots verts, or filet beans. Haricots verts are more delicate than regular green beans and cook up more quickly.
Do you cut Chinese long beans? ›
Trim off any dry ends, then break or cut Chinese long beans in half before cooking. They should not be used interchangeably with green beans. Their mild flavor works well with strong, spicy seasonings; try them in stir-fries, either with other vegetables or on their own.
What is a substitute for Chinese long beans? ›
If you can find Chinese Long Beans at your local Asian market – go with that! But green beans work just as well as a substitute!
What is green mung bean in Chinese? ›
绿豆 : mung bean... : lǜ dòu | Definition | Mandarin Chinese Pinyin English Dictionary | Yabla Chinese.
What are Chinese bean sprouts called? ›
China. In Chinese cuisine, common dishes that may use mung bean sprouts, known as dòuyá (豆芽), are fried rice, spring rolls, egg drop soup, and hot and sour soup. In Cantonese cuisine, bean sprouts are used dishes such as egg fu yung and beef chow fun.
What are bean sprouts called in Chinese food? ›
Known as lǜ Dòu Yá (绿豆芽) in Chinese, mung bean sprouts are widely used in Chinese cuisine to create savoury dishes, such as stir-fries, salads & soup.
What is a china bean? ›
Chinese Beans (Yard-long, Adzuka, or Fava beans)
Description - Yard-long (Asparagus bean), Vigna sesquipedalis pods may be 10-20 inches long but customers prefer them 10-12 inches in length and pencil-size. There are two kinds, red seeded and black seeded. The black seeded is preferred.
