Dried Mussel, Ginger and Stir-Fried Black Bean

Why people make this dish

Dried mussels — known in Cantonese seafood shops as wang cai (prosperity greens), since no shopkeeper wants the character for “bland” — are actually one of the most nourishing shellfish in the traditional Chinese pantry. Classical medical texts note that among all sea products, only the mussel has a naturally mild flavour, hence the name. Nourilo uses them here as the centrepiece of a warming, blood-nourishing dish for women whose periods are consistently heavy, leaving them feeling cold, pale, and depleted. Ginger warms the middle and improves circulation; stir-frying the green-kernel black beans activates their kidney-nourishing properties; a splash of rice wine carries the warmth inward.