# Whats this in my Hunan Beef **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961 "2009-09-05T14:20:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ginman999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@ginman999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ginman999)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/1 "2009-09-05T14:20:39Z")
Hunan beef from China Garden, It looks like a black watermelon seed. They only put about 4 in each serving. Good smoky taste. Can someone tell me what it is? ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/2 "2009-09-05T16:32:58Z")
It might be the missing apostrophe from your thread title. I’ve dropped a few myself in my time. Never recall a “good smoky taste” to them, though. I must not be eating at the right restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/3 "2009-09-05T16:39:37Z")
I’ve wondered about this too - it has the consistency of a bean, but the shape of a raisin. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/4 "2009-09-05T17:38:49Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > I’ve wondered about this too - it has the consistency of a bean, but the shape of a raisin. A braisin? Or perhaps, because of the forceful taste, a brazen braisin? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/5 "2009-09-05T17:53:37Z")
[Black cardamom](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_cardamom)? Does it have a slight camphor/mint/herbal note to it? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/6 "2009-09-05T17:58:18Z")
I wonder why they specifically warn not to eat black cardamom as a snack, or uncooked. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/7 "2009-09-05T18:01:25Z")
It’s chinese black bean sauce. ---
**Author:** ![wunderkammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@wunderkammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wunderkammer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/8 "2009-09-05T18:11:20Z")
Fermented black beans a.k.a. [douchi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douchi)? Fits the braisin hypothesis. ---
**Author:** ![TheTerribleTako](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@TheTerribleTako](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheTerribleTako)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/9 "2009-09-05T19:23:19Z")
I would bet on the douchi as well. You can usually find them as ‘salted black beans’ in any Asian supermarket in the spice aisle. It’s usually used with stir-fried meat and vegetables. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/10 "2009-09-05T19:56:03Z")
> [@wunderkammer](#): > > Fermented black beans a.k.a. [douchi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douchi)? > Fits the braisin hypothesis. This would make more sense than black cardamom. I guessed black cardamom based on the smoky description, but it’s still pretty fibrous when cooked through, and one doesn’t normally eat the pods on their own. At least I don’t think one does. ---
**Author:** ![mecaenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@mecaenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mecaenas)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/11 "2009-09-06T00:10:40Z")
Was I the only one who read the title as “human beef”? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/12 "2009-09-06T01:36:32Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > I’ve wondered about this too - it has the consistency of a bean, but the shape of a raisin. Rats. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/13 "2009-09-06T01:46:34Z")
> [@mecaenas](#): > > Was I the only one who read the title as “human beef”? Actually, they’re trying to disguise the fact that it’s really Soylent Green. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/14 "2009-09-06T01:55:03Z")
An Asian restaurant in Little Rock, Chi’s, stir fries celery in some dishes. I’m not sure why, perhaps it is an inexpensive vegetable. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/15 "2009-09-06T02:04:29Z")
Is it [sichuan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichuan_pepper) pepper? I would expect it to be an ingredient in Sichuan Beef, not Hunan Beef, of course. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/16 "2009-09-06T02:07:25Z")
> [@mecaenas](#): > > Was I the only one who read the title as “human beef”? I do it all the time. Not just the thread title; menus too. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/17 "2009-09-06T02:13:51Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Not just the thread title; menus too. Yeah, but _you_ would _order_ it, just to see what it was like and post about it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/18 "2009-09-06T02:19:15Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Actually, they’re trying to disguise the fact that it’s really Soylent Green. You mean—that “soy” sauce we’ve been eating all these years—:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/19 "2009-09-06T02:20:33Z")
Yep. Soylent sauce. I wasn’t going to say anything, since I like it so much. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961/20 "2009-09-06T02:24:00Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Yep. Soylent sauce. I wasn’t going to say anything, since I like it so much. I knew it! What’s next? “Sum Yun Gai” on the menu? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-in-my-hunan-beef/508961.md?page=2)