The Italians have Parmesan; the Chinese have fermented black beans. The word “beans” in the name has caused some confusion: these “black beans” are actually fermented, heavily salted soybeans – not the black turtle beans used in Latin American cooking. You’ll find them in many East Asian cuisines, but they’re most common in China. Nothing can truly replace douchi, though a good Chinese black bean sauce can stand in for it in many recipes.
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In the 1970s, archaeologists found douchi sealed inside a Chinese tomb at Mawangdui dating from around 165 BC, making it the oldest known soy product in the world.
The black soybeans are fermented by inoculating them with a mold of the genus Aspergillus. This mold is especially important in Asian cooking, because it’s also used to ferment soy sauce, miso, sake, rice vinegar and other foods.
How to Use It
Douchi is used as widely as doubanjiang in Sichuan dishes, including Mapo Tofu and Twice-Cooked Pork Belly. In many southern provinces people make their own douchi at home. It’s also used to season fish and stir-fried vegetables (especially bitter melon and leafy greens). Unlike some other fermented soy foods, douchi is used only as a seasoning – it isn’t meant to be eaten in large amounts, because it’s usually very salty.
Fermented black beans are normally rinsed before cooking; otherwise they can make a dish too salty. For the best results, rehydrate them for a few minutes in water or another liquid from the recipe, such as rice wine, vinegar or soy sauce. The beans can then be used whole, chopped, crushed or blended. Added early in cooking, they give a gentler umami flavor; added later, they keep more of their flavor and texture.
Which Douchi to Buy
Choose packages that list only soybeans (or black soybeans), salt and possibly ginger as ingredients. Douchi sold in small plastic bags tends to have the most intense flavor. You’ll occasionally find it in small glass jars too, though these are often less flavorful. Look for it at Asian grocery stores or online.
Store it in a well-sealed container or zip-top bag in the fridge. Stored properly, it keeps for several months.
Douchi is very unlikely to be made from genetically modified beans. Most of the world’s soybean crop is grown for soybean oil, and black soybeans aren’t a major oil crop – black soybean varieties have generally been developed through conventional breeding.