Condiment
Sweet bean sauce
甜面酱
Also called tianmianjiang, tian mian jiang, sweet flour sauce, sweet wheat paste
A thick, dark brown paste made mainly from fermented wheat flour, with salt and sometimes soybeans. Despite the name it is more savoury than sweet, and closer to a mild miso than to hoisin.
Origin
Northern China, especially Beijing and Shandong, where it goes with Peking duck, zhajiangmian and many stir-fries. Sichuan cooks use it next to doubanjiang. Jars from mainland and Hong Kong brands are sold in most Chinese supermarkets abroad.
Flavour
Salty, malty and gently sweet from the fermentation, with a soft savoury depth and no chilli or spice.
How it is made
Steamed wheat dough is left to grow mould, then mixed with brine and aged, often in the sun, for weeks until dark and smooth.
How to use it
Fry it briefly in oil, often with a little sugar, before using; raw it tastes flat and floury. Brush it on duck pancakes, stir it into minced pork for noodle sauce, or add a spoon to twice-cooked pork.
Storage
Unopened jars keep for a year. Once open, keep it in the fridge with the lid tight; it lasts for months and darkens slowly.
Recipes using it
Peking duck
北京烤鸭
A whole duck scalded, glazed and air-dried for a day, then roasted on a rack until the skin is thin and crisp. Carved and rolled in thin pancakes with cucumber, spring onion and sweet bean sauce.
A bit of work
Twice-cooked pork
回锅肉
Sichuan hui guo rou: pork belly simmered, chilled and sliced thin, then stir-fried until the slices curl, with doubanjiang, black beans, sweet bean sauce and leek.
MediumMedium heat
