Chili bean sauce (doubanjiang)

A thick dark red fermented paste of beans and red chili pepper, very salty and spicy, the base of mapo tofu, dan dan noodles and hot pot.

Chili bean sauce (doubanjiang, Sichuan bean paste) is a thick dark red fermented paste of fava beans, soybeans, salt and a lot of red chili pepper, very salty, spicy, with a deep umami taste. It is fried in oil as the base of mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, Sichuan braised beef, hot pot and wok stir-fries; a key ingredient of Sichuan cooking.