Doubanjiang

Doubanjiang (Chinese: 豆瓣酱; pinyin: dòubànjiàng; literally "beans mixed into sauce") is a spicy, salty paste made from fermented broad beans, soybeans, red chili peppers, salt, and spices.

It is used particularly in Sichuan cuisine. It is also called la doubanjiang (辣豆瓣酱; pinyin: là dòubànjiàng; là meaning "hot" or "spicy"). A particularly well known variety is called Pixian doubanjiang (郫县豆瓣酱), named after the town of Pixian, Sichuan.

This sauce (jiang) may be eaten with rice or noodles as a quick meal, and is also commonly used as a primary flavoring for fried tofu dishes and cold tofu salads. It is also frequently mixed with instant noodles to improve the flavour of the usually MSG-laden noodles.

In many Chinese communities and food factories, doubanjiang is produced with only soybeans and salt, and does not contain the broad beans or chili peppers typical of Sichuan style doubanjiang.

In Korean cuisine, a similar form of hot bean paste is called gochujang.