Beans, lentils & pulses · Bean pastes & ferments

Fermented black beans (douchi)

Salted, fermented black soybeans (douchi) used in small amounts as a pungent, savoury seasoning.

Also called: douchi, dou chi, salted black beans, chinese black beans, preserved black beans, dau si

Around the world: 豆豉, douchi (zh)

Photo: Takeaway, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

What it is

Fermented black beans are black soybeans that have been salted and fermented until soft, wrinkled and intensely savoury. They are a seasoning, not a bean dish ingredient, and have nothing to do with Latin American black turtle beans. Used whole or crushed, they flavour steamed dishes and stir-fries.

How it’s used

Crushed with garlic for black bean sauce on fish, spare ribs or clams
Added to mapo tofu and Sichuan stir-fries
Stir-fried with bitter melon or peppers
Steamed with chicken feet or pork

Characteristics

Taste: Very salty, deep, savoury and slightly bitter-sweet.
Aroma: Pungent and fermented.
Texture: Soft and slightly dry-chewy.
When cooked: Rinse briefly to reduce saltiness, then mash or chop to spread flavour.
Sold as: fermented
Cooking uses: Mainly a seasoning, Commonly cooked
Common in: Chinese, Cantonese, Sichuan, Hong Kong, Taiwanese