Duo jiao

Duo jiao

What it is

Duo jiao means chopped chilli: fresh red chillies minced with salt and packed into a water-sealed jar, where they sour over weeks with no bean paste, sugar or oil involved. Hunan spoons it straight onto a split fish head and steams the two together, so the liquid the chilli gives up becomes the sauce.

In the kitchen

Steam it, do not fry it: the bright sourness is volatile and a hot wok flattens it into ordinary heat. It carries enough salt to season a whole fish on its own.

Goes with

Chili pepper Garlic Ginger Grouper Spring onion Rapeseed oil Salt Silken tofu (kinugoshi)

Same species

Ají amarillo Ají panca Ajvar Aleppo pepper Ancho chilli Bell pepper

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