Doubanjiang (豆瓣酱) is a thick, reddish-brown paste made from fermented fava beans, chili, salt and a little wheat flour. It is the foundation of many dishes from the Chinese province of Sichuan. The best-known type comes from Pixian near Chengdu, where it ages for months to years in open clay jars and turns almost black.
What does doubanjiang taste like?
Very salty, hot, deeply fermented and slightly bitter. Straight from the jar, the paste is hardly edible. It only develops its flavor once you fry it in oil.
How to use it
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok over medium heat and fry 1 to 2 tbsp of doubanjiang in it for about 1 minute, stirring, until the oil turns red and the paste smells fragrant. Only then add garlic, ginger, meat or tofu. You usually need no extra salt.
Doubanjiang from Hong Kong, often sold as chili bean sauce or toban djan, is smoother, milder and fermented for less time. It works in any recipe, but tastes less deep than Pixian doubanjiang.
How it differs from other bean pastes
- Gochujang from Korea is made from glutinous rice and chili, and it is sweeter and milder.
- Doenjang from Korea is soybean paste without chili, which you get to know in doenjang jjigae.
- Chunjang, the black bean paste for jajangmyeon, is sweetish and not spicy at all.
Substitute for doubanjiang
Its flavor cannot be fully replaced. In a pinch, mix 1 tbsp of gochujang with 1 tsp of dark miso and 1 tsp of chili oil. The result is sweeter, but it still carries a mapo tofu.
Storage
Once opened, keep doubanjiang in the fridge. Thanks to the high salt content, the paste lasts there for many months. Always use a clean spoon.
Recipes with doubanjiang
The classic is mapo tofu. The paste also gives color and depth to yuxiang rou si.