Black bean sauce recipes
Widely used in Chinese cooking, black bean sauce is made from fermented, salt-preserved soya beans. It is a cooking sauce rather than a table sauce or condiment, and has a subtle, deeply savoury taste. The soya beans used in black bean sauce may be black or yellow; the sauce鈥檚 colour is a result of the beans becoming dark due to the enzymes released when they are dried at high temperatures during the fermentation process.
A popular and easy stir-fry, chicken and black bean sauce is a great midweek supper.
More black bean sauce recipes
Buyer's guide
Black bean sauce comes in jars, cans and vacuum packs and is sometimes flavoured with garlic, ginger, chillies or spices. Do not use black bean sauce interchangeably with yellow bean sauce, which will give a different flavour and colour to your dish.
Storage
Unopened, blackbean sauce will keep well for several months.
Preparation
Use in Chinese stir-fries and steamed dishes, and add towards the end of cooking. The sauce is often combined with tofu, beef, or green peppers.