| For a westerner the name “bean paste” may sound a little off putting when you first hear it, but these are actually some of the most essential Chinese sauces. In fact, these aren’t just limited to China with many Asian countries such as Japan and Korea also using a range of bean pastes in their cooking as well. So, let’s have a look at some of the most common bean pastes that you’ll find in China!  Bean paste 豆瓣酱 dòubàn jiàng Now, the first bean paste we’ll be looking at can be a little confusing because it can actually refer to two different condiments depending on which part of China you are. In Sichuan bean paste 豆瓣酱 dòubàn jiàng is a spicy bean paste made from fermented broad beans, chilli peppers, soybeans, salt and flour. Some of the most common dishes that call on the use of 豆瓣酱 dòubàn jiàng are: o Twice cooked pork 回锅肉 huíguōròu o Mapo tofu 麻婆豆腐 má pó dòufu o Fish scented aubergine 鱼香茄子 yú xiāng qiézi o Hot pot 火锅 huǒguō o Shanghai spicy noodles 上海辣酱面 shànghǎi làjiàng miàn However, in many parts of China 豆瓣酱 dòubànjiàng can also refer to a savoury non spicy bean paste, so it can get a little confusing when shopping! The non spicy version can be used in the same dishes, but of course they won’t have that signature Sichuan spicy punch. In Southern China, 豆瓣酱 dòubàn jiàng actually refers to a sweet bean paste. In these regions they add spicy (辣 là) to the name of the spicy bean paste to differentiate it, calling it 辣豆瓣酱 làdòubàn jiàng. Yellow soybean paste 黄豆酱 huángdòu jiàng Next on our list of bean pastes we have yellow soybean paste. No surprises here, this paste is actually made form yellow soybeans, salt and water, sometimes wheat flour is also added. The beans used are actually the leftover beans from making soy sauce, so you may see the sauce referred to as “ground bean sauce”. In China the name of this paste will often be shortened simply to 黄酱 huáng jiàng “yellow paste”. There is also a spicy version available called 辣黄豆酱 là huángdòu jiàng. This is a popular condiment used in northern cuisine, especially Beijing cuisine. The most famous dish that it is used in is Zha jiang noodles (炸酱面 zhájiàngmiàn) a popular Beijing noodle dish. Fermented bean curd 腐乳 fǔrǔ Fermented bean curd, also known as fermented tofu, bean cheese or tofu cheese is made from preserving fresh bean curd with rice wine. There are two varieties of this Chinese condiment, the white kind (白腐乳 bái fúrú) and the red kind (红腐乳 hóng fǔrǔ). Now, this may look like one of the least appealing Chinese sauces on our list, however it really is packed with flavour. It has a salty, very slightly sweet flavour and some say an almost cheesy flavour. Red bean curd is often used as a marinade for meat, whereas white bean curd is often used to cook stir-fried leafy vegetables. Both bean curds are also eaten as a condiment with congee (Chinese rice porridge). |
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