Douchi

Haricots noirs fermentés (douchi)

What it is

Sealed jars of fermented black beans were recovered from the Han-dynasty tombs at Mawangdui, which makes them one of the oldest soy preparations still cooked from daily. Unlike every paste made from the same bean, they are fermented dry and kept whole, so the salt stays on the outside and the funk is only released when they are crushed.

In the kitchen

Rinse them a few seconds to take the surface salt off, then crush them roughly under the flat of the knife and drop them into hot oil before anything else — left whole they stay mute. Salt the dish only at the end.

Goes with

Garlic Ginger Chili pepper Pork Sea bass Doubanjiang Spring onion Shaoxing wine

Same species

Chunjang Dark soy sauce Doenjang Edamame Fermented bean curd Guk-ganjang

Also used with

Bitter melon Huamei Chicken feet

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