Doubanjiang – What is it?
Doubanjiang (豆瓣醬) is a sauce/ paste that is made from fermented beans. It is a very common Chinese condiment and is a staple in my kitchen! There are many different types of fermented bean paste that come from different regions of China. Depending on the region and the beans used, the flavour profiles and taste of the sauce is completely different. Commonly used beans for fermentation are soy beans, black beans or broad beans. Some doubanjiang have chilli added during the manufacturing process which adds another dimension of flavour and heat.
What Doubanjiang should you use?
All doubanjiangs are delicious and are instant flavour bombs. Generally, you should use one that comes from the same region as the dish you are planning to make.
The doubanjiang I have in my kitchen is a Taiwanese one that uses soybeans as the base. I found Taiwanese doubanjiang tends to taste a bit sweeter and a little less salty. This is great because I find I can control the overall saltiness of the dish more easily.
However, I do like using fermented bean paste made from broadbeans in my cooking as well. Especially if I’m cooking a dish that is more traditional and I want it to taste distinctively Chinese.
Some doubanjiang are made with chilli during the fermentation process which introduces another layer of heat and flavour. It is often called chilli bean paste, and it has a unique flavour profile and can taste very different. If a recipe calls for specifically chilli bean paste, it can be hard to recreate that flavour profile with just doubanjiang and fresh chilli added. Thats why, if you enjoy eating Chinese food or do a lot of Chinese cooking, it’s best to have both types on hand.
What brand should you buy?
The taste of doubanjiang can differ greatly between brands. My favourite brand is Long home, its deeply savoury and not too salty so it’s very easy to use and layer umami into your food. Long Home also makes a wide variety of pickled and fermented food items such as delicious pickled chillies and fermented pineapples.
Sadly, it is tricky to source this brand in Australia (I typically bring back a carton every time I visit TW). A more readily available brand that I recommend is the Six Fortune brand. This is another quality Taiwanese doubanjiang, available in original or spicy (It’s also Gluten Free!).
Some other available brands include Lee Kum Kee’s doubanjiang (sold as Chilli Bean Sauce or Toban Jiang) where the paste is made from a mix of fermented soy and broad beans. The resulting taste is very different to Taiwanese doubanjiang, but still very delicious and will give an instant umami lift to any dish.
How to use Doubanjiang
Doubanjiang is quite salty, so less is more! You can always add more but it’s hard to save the dish if it ends up too salty! Start off by using the amount suggested by your recipe. If you want to try using it in a stir-fry try using 1/2-1 tbsp at a time. If it’s your first time cooking with this condiment I recommend using the non-spicy varieties to start with. You can control the spiciness and heat a little better this way, especially if you don’t handle chilli heat well.
Once you get comfortable with the flavour profile, I hope you will have the confidence to start using it in your everyday cooking!
