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How to shop for Doubanjiang (Sichuan chili bean paste)

18 Comments

  1. Hey Kenji, would you ever consider designing and releasing a Chinese chef’s knife? After trying one for the first time a couple years ago, it felt so natural to me, and I find it really hard to go back to other knife styles. After using your wok, I know you’d make an awesome one!

  2. Unfortunate AOC has sold out. Sad to see. Guess she thought "if i can't beat them, I'll join them"

  3. I can’t find it. The people at the asian grocery store don’t know what I was asking for. Tried to use TTS to ask for it. Maybe they aren’t chinese. Idk.

  4. What’s the rest of what you’re making? I already have that product for Mapo tofu but would love to use it more.

  5. Thanks Kenji! I’m compiling a must have list. I like spicy and funky, so this sounds like a ‘must have’. Cheers!

  6. Can you post the cook top you are using here please? The one you recommended on your wok book website off Amazon was pretty disappointing

  7. I have some of this paste from Pixian (can’t make a good Ma Po Tofu without it) and it is at least 3-4 years old. It’s so salty I know it won’t go bad, and it still ‘tastes’ good, but does it have an expiration date in that the flavor/spiciness fades?

  8. That looks like Juancheng 1st-grade traditional style pixian doubanjiang. Much more readily available is the 'with red oil' style in a red-capped plastic jar from the same brand. The 'red oil' style is still very good and marked 'China Time-Honored Brand', though I believe it's aged for less time.

    The traditional stuff doesn't have added oil, so if you want the red oil you need to fry it in oil for a bit. The 'with red oil' type has oil already, which has been flavored and colored by the doubanjiang.

  9. Pixian doubanjiang is certainly seen as the most traditional but you can get great sichuan doubanjiang that isn’t pixian and even very good sichuan-style doubanjiang from other regions. If you can’t find pixian doubanjiang you can still make delicious meals.

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