Douchi

Douchi
Several varieties of douchi and douchi products
Chinese	豆豉
Hanyu Pinyin	dòuchǐ
Jyutping	dau6 si6
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin dòuchǐ Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization dauh sih Jyutping dau6 si6 Southern Min Hokkien POJ tāu-sīⁿ

Douchi (Chinese: 豆豉; pinyin: dòuchǐ) has no standard name in English, where they are also called Fermented black soybeans, Chinese fermented black beans (Chinese: 黑豆豆豉; pinyin: hēidòu dòuchǐ), salted black beans, salty black beans, fermented soybeans, preserved soybeans, etc. In Mandarin Chinese they are also called doushi, shi and shih. In Cantonese Chinese dowsee, dowsi, dausi. And in Filipino tausi. They are a flavoring most popular in the cuisine of China, where they are most widely used make black bean sauce.

Douchi is made by a two-part fermenting and salting black soybeans. The process turns the beans black, soft, and mostly dry. The flavor is sharp, pungent, and spicy in smell, with a taste that is salty and somewhat bitter and sweet.

Douchi should not be confused with black turtle beans, a variety of common bean that is commonly used in the cuisines of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

In Japanese, douchi is also referred to as Daitokuji natto, Hamanatto, hamananatto, shiokara-natto, tera-natto, sometimes using the same kanji (豆豉) and pronounced as touchi.

The process and product are similar to ogiri and iru, both being African fermented bean products.

In Vietnam, this sauce is called tàu xì or đậu xị and is made from the black soybean.

History

Fermented black soybeans are the oldest known food made from soybeans. In 165 BCE they were found clearly marked in Han Tomb No. 1 at Mawangdui near today's Changsha, Hunan province, in south-central China. The tomb was sealed in about 165 BCE and was first opened in 1972. The high ranking lady to whom the undisturbed tomb belonged was probably the wife of the first Marquis of Tai.

In 90 BCE, in the Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) by Sima Qian, Chapter 69 refers to 1,000 earthenware vessels of mold-fermented cereal grains and salty fermented soybeans (shi). They were now an important commodity in China. When the prince of Huainan (legendary inventor of tofu) was exiled for inciting rebellion (in 173 BCE) against his brother, the Han Emperor Wendi, he and his retinue were, nevertheless, provided with such necessities of life as "firewood, rice, salt, shi [fermented black soybeans] and cooking utensils. Note that the date 173 BCE is before Han Tomb No. 1 at Mawangdui was sealed!

An entire book about the history of Fermented black soybeans has been written

Use

Douchi is especially used to flavor fish or stir-fried vegetables (particularly bitter melon and leaf vegetables). Unlike some other fermented soybean-based foods such as natto or tempeh, douchi is used only as a seasoning, and is not meant to be consumed in large quantities, being typically much more salty.

Small packets of douchi are available wherever Chinese foods are sold.

Some common dishes made with douchi are Steamed Spare ribs with Fermented Black Beans and Chili Pepper (豉椒排骨), and Braised Mud Carp with Fermented Black Beans (豆豉鯪魚).

Black bean paste

In Chinese cuisine, a condiment called black bean paste or black bean garlic sauce (蒜蓉豆豉酱) is made from douchi, as well as garlic and soy sauce, a typical combination used for seasoning a dish. This paste is commercially available in glass jars from companies such as Lee Kum Kee, although most Chinese restaurant chefs prefer to use actual douchi to prepare such sauces rather than using commercially available black bean paste.