In the background, a special paste of fermented fava beans mixed with red Sichuan chilies called Doubanjiang provides the dish with deep umami backbone. Meanwhile, at the surface, numbing ...

Fermented bean paste, or doubanjiang, adds umami to the dish. The area is known for being humid, so people eat spicy food to get rid of the damp feeling in their bodies. It is said that the dish ...

Chinese doubanjiang, or Korean doenjang or gochujang. If you use bean paste without chillies, make sure it’s not the sweetened type meant for desserts. You can also add other types of vegetables ...