The real soul of Sichuan cuisine — Doubanjiang with a homemade recipe you can try when the board beans are harvested.
What’s Doubanjiang
Doubanjiang, also known as Sichuan sauce or Board bean chili paste, is a traditional Chinese condiment made from fermented broad beans. It is considered the soul of Sichuan cuisine. It has a pungent, salty flavor and is often used in stir-frying dishes and stewed dishes.
Doubanjiang (豆瓣酱) literally means bean paste. There are several versions popular in different areas in China. Sichuan Doubanjiang is made from broad bean (fava beans) instead of soybean. There are two sub-versions—one is red oil doubanjiang, which is relatively easy to make and quite popular in housewives’ kitchen; the other one is famous Pixian doubanjiang produced in a small area named as Pixian of Sichuan province. Due to the excellent water sauces, great weather condition and ancestral recipe, Pixian Doubanjiang has its unique flavor and enjoys a high reputation all over world. Pixian doubanjiang usually goes through quite long fermentation time under sunshine. The prices vary based on the fermentation years. But the main market for Pixian doubanjiang is outside Sichuan province. It is quite sad that the tradition is losing due to the city development. Instead of using traditional fermentation method, modernized production lines are widely adopted to improve the outputs. However, we are lucky as there are still some brands (Pi’xian Doubanjiang on Amazon: Sichuan Pixian Broad Bean Paste with Red Chili Oil – 17.6 oz (500g) to trust. If you meet premiere three-year doubanjiang, do not miss it at whatever price.
Common housewives in Sichuan province love to make their own Doubanjiang at home. The homemade Doubanjiang is produced by a simpler process but yield great tastes too. My family has the tradition to make Doubanjiang each year, making several large jars in turn and exchange with family members. We usually call homemade doubanjiang red oil doubanjiang, because usually a layer of oil is used to separate the doubanjiang from air.
Caution: the following is an extremely long post, as I am trying my best to explain everything in detail. Making a jar of doubanjing is comforting and enjoyable, but also time-consuming and expensive. If you plan to try it at home, please know the most important fungus during the process: Aspergillus oryzae, how it works, and the best conditions.
I thought homemade doubanjiang can be quite easy after watching my mother and grandma making them a year and year again. But it is true only if you are in China because we are making our homemade doubanjiang based on an essential ingredient—fermented broad beans(霉豆瓣). There is almost no chance to find fermented broad beans outside China, even outside Sichuan. So I went back to my hometown this year and make my own batch from just dried fava beans under their directions. I only start with a small batch and yield around 1.5 kg doubanjiang at last(in the little earth jar shown in the above picture).
My mom did not make fermented broad beans previously but my grandma did. I have double-checked with her and tried several batches using natural fermentation in my apartment. Guess what? All of the tests failed. After reading lots of articles and papers, I found out the reason is the environment-my apartment. Fungus widely exists in my grandma’s yard as she makes fermented foods each year, but my apartment is too clean so there are very few starters around. So I further find out a shortcut and saver way–using the kit for the fermentation. Koji kit is the sprouts of Aspergillus oryzae. After being loaded with the sprouts, broad beans can be fermented in a short time and meanwhile reduce the chance to be infected by other harmful fungi.
Firstly soak the beans overnight with enough water and then drain.Transfer the beans to a steamer and steam for 20-45 minutes based on the hight of the layer until just well cooked (when you break them in halves in hand, there is no raw part inside, but the beans should not be too fragile to smash easily). You can taste the beans. They should be slightly stiff but well cooked already.
After steaming, transfer the beans out immediately and spread to cool down. In summer, make sure they are cooled down completely. Then mix the starter with 3g flour. The powder in the small spoon is the starter I use, known as koji kit (koji mold spores). You can purchase a Japanese version from amazon.
Spread the starter to the beans and massage with hands to make sure all the beans are loaded with starter.
Then flat them and cover with a wet clean cloth (I soak the cloth in cooled boiled water and please keep the cloth away from the beans). Place on a baking cooling rack so there is air going through underneath and place in shadow place (try to avoid sunshine). Keep the temperature between 30 to 36 degree C and the air humidity around 80% (at least 70%).
If weather condition is great, it should look this after several hours.
Then after another 12 to 16 hours, it looks like this.
Lovely? I watch them for minutes.
After another 12 hours to 16 hours, the white hair turns yellow.
When the hair turns yellow, stop the fermentation via drying under sunshine.
After one day drying under sunshine, it looks like. That’s the fermented broad beans(霉豆瓣).
Wash the beans under running water gently and drain. Then add 30ml Chinese white spirit (白酒), 250ml cooled boiled water and 50g salt.Mix well and fermented for 30 hours to 40 hours (covered).
Then you will get this.
Wash the pepper and air dry for 5-10 hours. And then cut into small pieces. Add around 40g salt and set aside for 1 hour before mixing with the beans.
Scoop the red peppers to the beans and discard the extra liquid at the bottom. Mix in spices, 50ml oil and 2 tablespoons of fermented sticky rice (you can skip this if hard to acquire). And transfer the mixture into the pot.
This is optional! In the first 7 days, place in warm place (under sunshine ) and uncover by day and half covered by night.
Add oil to cover the doubanjiang (3-4 cm higher), cover the lid and place in warm place. Then we pass everything to time. Let it ferments for at least 3 months before enjoying. Use cleaned tool to scoop the sauce out and it can be kept for 2-3 years.
After three months. Homemade red oil doubanjiang has a lighter and brighter color comparing with Pixian doubanjiang.
Doubanjiang | Broad Bean Paste
Ingredients
- 150 g dried board beans , peeled
- 0.3 g kit starter
- 800 g to 1000g fresh pepper
- 3 tbsp. minced ginger , optional
- 30 ml white spirit , or other hard liquor
- 250 ml cooled boiled water
- 50 g for beans +40g (for fresh peppers) salt
- 2 tbsp. fermented sticky rice
- oil as needed
- a Jar
Spices (you can replace them with 1 tbsp. Chinese five spice powder)
- 2 star anises
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon red Sichuan peppercorn
- 1 small piece of Chinese cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 tsao ko
- 2 cardamons
Instructions
Make fermented fava beans
- Firstly soak the beans overnight with enough water and then drain.Then transfer the beans to a steamer and steam the board beans for 20-45 minutes based on the hight of the layer until just well cooked (when you break it in halves in hand, there is no raw part inside, but the beans should not be too fragile to smash easily). You can taste the beans. They should be slightly stiff but well cooked already.
- After steaming, transfer the beans out immediately and spread to cool down. In summer, make sure they are cooled down completely. Then mix the starter with 3g flour.
- Spread the starter to the beans and message with hands to make sure all the beans are loaded with starter.
- Spread the starter to the beans and message with hand to make sure all the beans are loaded with starter.Then flat them and cover with a wet clean cloth (I soak the cloth in cooled boiled water and please keep the cloth away from the beans). Place on a baking cooling rack so there is air going through underneath and place in shadow place (try to avoid sunshine). Keep the temperature between 30 to 36 degree C and the air humidity around 80% (at least 70%). Wait for 24 to 48 hours until the white hair turns yellow.Stop the fermentation via drying under sunshine.
Make Doubanjiang mixture
- Wash the beans under running water gently and drain. Then add 30ml white spirit, 250ml cooled boiled water and 50g salt.Mix well and fermented for 30 hours to 40 hours (covered).
- Wash the pepper and air dry for 5-10 hours. And then cut into small pieces (I chop ginger along with peppers). Add around 40g salt and set aside for 1 hour before mixing with the beans.
- Scoop the red peppers to the beans and discard the liquid on bottom. Mix in spices, 50ml oil and 2 tablespoons of fermented sticky rice. And transfer the mixture into the pot.
- This is optional! In the first 7 days, place in warm place (under sunshine ) and uncover by day and half covered by night.
- Add oil to cover the doubanjiang (3-4 cm higher), cover the lid and place in warm place. Them we pass everything to time. Let it ferments for at least 3 months before enjoying.
Hi Elaine,
I’ve been looking for that recipe for so long…I’ve been in Sichuan in April 2013 and discovered the joy of that paste on every little single Sichuan dish during my stay. I will definitely try your version.
However, it will be very useful to have the intermediary steps photos…
1) Are you boiling/blanching the broad beans first in order to peel them ?
2) Is the wheat flour “all purpose flour” or “whole wheat flour” ?
3) When you say “mix thouroughly”, does it mean we have to crush/mash the beans ?
4) When we put the jar under the sun, do we have to cover it or not ?
Thanks in advance for your feedback! Without it, I can’t start the recipe!
Cheers from Belgium! David.
Hi David,
I have updated the recipe and with some of your question addressed carefully.
Broad beans should be soaked so that you can peel easily and the flour is all-purpose flour.
We do not need to mash the beans. But you can mash it if you like. The broad beans actually are cut into small pieces.
For the cover with the jar, I recommend using a large gauze. The gauze helps the air circulation and prevents loosing too much water contained.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ‘HARD LIQUID PLEASE’ AT THE END OF THE LINE ABOUT THE INGREDIENT OF WHITE WINE? IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE…. WHAT IS ‘HARD LIQUID?’ NO IDEA WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS TEXT/INFO? ??? :-/ VERY CONFUSED. THANK YOU.
Hi Rhona,
hard liquid means High alcohol(high alcohol content like vodka,Whisky,Brandy and Chinese spirit).
It should be “hard liquor” not “hard liquid.” This is a term for alcohol with content above 40% (80 proof). Love the website!
Dear Elaine,
Thank you for your irreplaceable and interactive help.
– Why do we need to do step 2 when step 1 is already heating the beans? It is cooking the beans twice?
– What is the result looking like after step 3? Should the wine evaporate?
– Step 4: should the result here be “mushy”? That’s to say like a “miso paste”?
– The 3 months waiting step is now missing in the recipe. Is it step 5?
– I don’t understand step 6…
Do you have intermediary photos to help? It looks so tasty! Thank you again.
Hi David,
I am really sorry that I cannot provide photos from my own since I have finished the making process and I have a large jar now.
Besides the temperature returns and it is not a good time to make doubanjiang on my side now. But I will search some pictures on the internet to hope you understand what I mean.
For your question
-step1 helps you to peel the skin off easily and step 2 is to make the broad bean cooked and will bring a softer taste of the broad bean body.
-not all of the wine will evaporate. Use your hand to grasp it and it feels like there are some smoothy liquid on the surface.
_after step 4, yes it is a little “mushy”.
_step 6 is to chop the chili peppers but do remember to dry the water on the surface.
_Three months actually is in step 8 after you pour the red oil to the mixture. Half a month is ok and three months are great! So I shorten the time and longer time is hoped. I made my jar around 2 monthes ago and I am still waiting for enjoying it.
Davide, I will send you some pictures via e-mail and hope that can help.
Elaine, I have to thank you so much for the effort you’ve put into helping with this recipe.
The best way to thank you, will be to do the recipe, and to send you some pictures during the intermediate steps and tell you how much I’m enjoying using the paste on all the dishes.
I can start the recipe once the weather is hotter, for the moment it is the middle of winter, then I’ll start in May-June.
A good understanding of the whole recipe was necessary. Thank you again so much.
Do we use fresh broad beans (green) or dry broad beans (brown) for the recipe ?
PS: I’m also looking for a big chinese jar to do this paste 🙂
I love this recipe, I’m trying to figure out how I can make it in holland when we don’t have any sun… Can you tell me what happens to the beans when they are sitting in the sun? Are they fermenting or drying? Or both?
Hi Luc,
expose the broad beens in the sun is for both fermenting and drying.
Thanks! I will try lacto fermenting them then drying gently in the oven 🙂
Luc,
That’s a lovely idea and wish you good luck. Please note me if you get any progress.
Broad beans finally came into season here a few weeks ago, I blanched some, peeled their skins then submerged them in brine for 10 days, the result was a nice soft & sour bean… I mixed these with the rest of the ingredients in your recipe but a lot less wine since this won’t be evaporating in the sun. I’ve packed the paste into a jar in much the same way as cabbage is packed for sauerkraut and topped with rapeseed oil…
The whole thing looks really promising, Theres a picture on my IG feed here: http://instagram.com/p/qGjdeFxPEO/
I will taste in in a month 🙂
Hi Luc,
Thanks for showing me the picture of your paste. I agree that it looks really promising. Do you skip the sun drying process? If this works fine, then you developed a new and easier way than the traditional one.
I can’t eat wheat and it’s hard to find this paste in the store without it. Could I substitute rice or another flour instead of wheat flour?
Should the broad beans (we call them fava beans in the USA) be fresh or dried? If I wanted to do this with soybeans, fresh or dried? Any other differences?
I just love your recipes and site, beautiful photos!
Ginger
Hi Ginger,
Thanks for stopping by. If you can eat wheat, then I would love to suggest skipping it. Some people do not use any flour when making their own doubanjiang. Flour is not a must.
And for the fava beans used for this recipe, they should be dried beans.
If you use soy beans then it will come out to be another type of paste. In center part of China, people do use soy beans to make their daily paste. If you want to make the paste with soy beans paste, I can help to bring up another recipe using soy beans.
can you recommend recipes to use the bean paste
Hi Cj,
Since this doubanjiang is considered as the soul of sichuan cuisine, there are many famous sichuan dishes calls for this paste.
There are many recipes on this site calls for doubanjiang for mapo tofu, twice cooked pork and kung pao chicken.
I list some of the recipes on the middle of this page introducing some sichuan dishes need the paste. Just check it and hope that you get some inspirations.
Hi Elaine,
Thank you for this amazing article. I ordered and received the Sichuan / Pixian / Pi Xian Broad Bean Paste 16OZ from Amazon, but I have a question that perhaps you can answer. Do you know how long this will last in the refrigerator? I couldn’t find an expiration date on it, and wanted to know how long I could keep it refrigerated without it going bad. Thank you in advance.
Hi John,
After using, keep the package sealed with a clip. It can be kept at least half a year since it is aseptic.
My homemade doubanjiang can be kept around 2 years. So do not worry about the expiration date since the amount of the package is not that large.
That’s awesome. Thank you!
You are welcome, John. Hope you enjoy the spicy taste.
hi, thanks for this recipe! i love to make such pastes from scratch rather than buying, when possible. this is for a very large quantity, correct? 100 oz of dried broadbean? so about 3 kg? does the wine completely cover them when they are cooked? can the recipe be made in a smaller amount?
thanks again.
Hi Katherine,
Sure this can be made in a smaller amount but this is not the right time (in China). Usually this doubanjiang is made in winter. We do not need to cover or soak the cooked beans with wine but make sure each bean is coated with wine. Yes the broadbeans have two layers and both of them needed to be removed. The beans in China is around thumb nail size.I peel the second skin off after soaking.
one more question – broadbeans (fava beans) sometimes seem to have two skins, the thin outer skin and then a second inner skin, so the actual bean inside is quite small. do you just mean the outer skin? (or maybe you use a different type of bean so there is not this problem). do you squeeze the soaked bean to “pop” the bean out?
thanks!
I can’t have gluten (wheat/flour) and am looking (desperately) for a replacement for doubanjiang. Do you think if I used rice flour instead of a wheat derived flour that this would still come out ok?
Hi Adam,
Rice flour cannot be used as a replacement of all-purpose flour. If you are on a gluten free diet, you can just skip flour. The texture might be not that thick but there will be only tiny differences in taste.