A CLOSER LOOK
How to recognize it
A coarse red to reddish-brown paste with bean and chili pieces. Check the label: similarly named non-spicy bean pastes are different.
In the kitchen
Fried briefly in oil to season mapo tofu and twice-cooked pork.
Bean composition and aging differ between products. Pixian douban is a recognized style; not every chili bean paste is a Pixian product.
Ask about this ingredient
这道菜里有辣豆瓣酱吗？
Does this dish contain Chili broad-bean paste?
A few dishes to explore
These examples use this ingredient in typical or optional preparations. Open the dish to see the distinction; a restaurant’s recipe can differ.
