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Sauces, pastes & condiments · Soy & fermented sauces

Sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang)

Dark, sweet-salty northern Chinese paste of fermented wheat flour, for Peking duck and zhajiangmian.

Also called: tianmianjiang, tian mian jiang, sweet flour sauce, sweet wheat paste, sweet soybean paste

Around the world: 甜面酱, 甜麵醬, tianmianjiang (zh)

2 recipes with it

What it is

Tianmianjiang is a thick, glossy, dark brown paste made mostly by fermenting wheat flour, sometimes with soybeans. Despite the name, it is mainly wheat. It is sweeter and smoother than yellow soybean paste and less spiced than hoisin. Korean chunjang is similar but darker and caramel-roasted.

How it’s used

  • Spread on pancakes with Peking duck
  • Zhajiangmian (fried sauce noodles)
  • Stir-fries like jing jiang rou si (shredded pork)
  • Dipping sauce for spring onion and cucumber

Characteristics

Taste
Sweet, salty and savoury.
Texture
Thick and smooth.
Appearance
Glossy dark brown.
When cooked
Fry gently in oil to develop aroma; burns if the heat is too high.
Sold as
paste, fermented
Cooking uses
Mainly a seasoning, Commonly cooked
Common in
Chinese

Storage

Refrigerated. Refrigerate after opening; keeps for months with a clean spoon.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Soy, Wheat, Gluten.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains wheat (gluten) and usually soy.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
220 kcal
Protein
3.31 g
Carbohydrate
44.08 g
Fat
3.39 g
Fibre
2.8 g
Sugars
27.26 g

USDA FoodData Central: Sauce, hoisin, ready-to-serve (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Hoisin sauce — Same amount; sweeter and more spiced.
  • Miso — Red miso with sugar; less sweet.

Related ingredients

Recipes with sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang)

More soy & fermented sauces