Sauces, pastes & condiments · Pastes

Chilli bean paste (doubanjiang)

Salty, fermented Sichuan paste of broad beans and chilli; the red, savoury base of mapo tofu and twice-cooked pork.

Also called: toban djan, pixian bean paste, chili bean sauce

Photo: Badagnani, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-3.0)

What it is

A coarse, oily, dark-red paste made by fermenting broad (fava) beans with chilli, salt and often wheat flour. Pixian doubanjiang from Sichuan is aged for months and is the classic. It is much saltier and less sweet than Korean gochujang. Usually it is fried in oil first to release colour and aroma.

How it’s used

Mapo tofu
Twice-cooked pork and Sichuan stir-fries
Fish-fragrant (yu xiang) aubergine
Sichuan hotpot bases and noodle sauces

Characteristics

Taste: Very salty, spicy and savoury with fermented bean depth.
Aroma: Fermented and chilli-rich; becomes fragrant when fried.
Texture: Chunky with bits of bean and chilli.
Appearance: Dark reddish-brown, often oily.
When cooked: Fry gently in oil until the oil turns red before adding other ingredients; do not let it scorch.
Sold as: paste, fermented
Cooking uses: Mainly a seasoning, Commonly cooked, Suitable for frying
Common in: Sichuan, Chinese, Taiwanese