Fermented bean paste

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into fermented soy products. (Discuss)

A bowl of doenjang, a fermented soybean paste from Korea

Fermented bean paste is a category of fermented foods typically made from ground soybeans, which are indigenous to the cuisines of East and Southeast Asia. In some cases, such as in the production of doubanjiang, other varieties of beans such as broad beans, may also be used.

The pastes are usually salty and savory, but may also be spicy, and are used as a condiment to flavor foods such as stir-fries, stews, and soups. The colours of such pastes range from light tan, to reddish brown and dark brown. The differences in colour are due to different production methods such as the conditions of fermentation, the addition of wheat flour, pulverized mantou, rice, or sugar and the presence of different microflora such as bacteria or molds used in their production, as well as whether the soybeans are roasted (as in chunjang) or aged (as in tauchu) before being ground.

Fermented bean pastes are sometimes the starting material used in producing soy sauces such as Joseon ganjang or tamari, or an additional product created from the same fermented mass.

Due to the protein content of the beans, the fermentation process releases a large amount of free amino acids, which when combined with the large amounts of salt used in its production, produces a highly umami product. This is particularly true with miso, which can be used as the primary ingredient in certain dishes such as miso soup.

[edit] Types

Various types of fermented bean paste include:

Food	Cuisine of	Includes soy
Doubanjiang	China	Yes
Douchi	China	Yes
Sweet noodle sauce	China	Yes
Tauchu	China	Yes
Yellow soybean paste	China	Yes
Dajiang	China	Yes
Miso	Japan	Yes
Nattō	Japan	Yes
Cheonggukjang	Korea	Yes
Chunjang (called jajang when heated)	Korea	Yes
Doenjang	Korea	Yes
Gochujang	Korea	Yes
Ssamjang	Korea	Yes
Tương	Vietnam	Yes

[edit] See also

Sweet bean paste

This article does not cite any references or sources. (August 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

v • d • e Soy

General	Soybean · Soy protein · Soybean meal · Soy Controversy · Soy allergy · List of soybean diseases

Meat analogues	Tofu · Tempeh · Tofurkey

Dairy analogues	Soy milk · Soy cheese · Soy yogurt · Soy ice cream

Sauces and condiments	Fermented bean paste · Soy sauce