豆豉 (dòuchǐ) · fermented black soybeans, douchi

Meanings

1 fermented black soybeans
2 douchi

About the ingredient

调料 Seasonings

Soybeans, usually black ones, cooked, fermented and salted until soft and mostly dry. They are salty and savoury, so a small spoonful is enough, often rinsed first, then fried with garlic and chili or steamed with spare ribs.

Contains soy

Used in 11 dishes

麻婆豆腐 mápódòufu

回锅肉 huíguōròu

小炒肉 xiǎochǎoròu

川北凉粉 chuānběiliángfěn

盐煎肉 yánjiānròu

炒田螺 chǎotiánluó

豉汁蒸排骨 chǐzhī zhēng páigǔ

虎皮凤爪 hǔpí fèngzhǎo

凤爪 fèngzhǎo

芋头蒸排骨 yùtou zhēng páigǔ

豆豉鲮鱼油麦菜 dòuchǐ língyú yóumàicài

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

豆豉蒸排骨是粤菜经典。

Dòuchǐ zhēng páigǔ shì Yuècài jīngdiǎn.

Steamed pork ribs with fermented black beans is a Cantonese classic.

HSK 7-9

做麻婆豆腐少不了豆豉。

Zuò mápó dòufu shǎobuliǎo dòuchǐ.

You can't make mapo tofu without fermented black beans.

Tips

culture

Salt-fermented soybeans, dark and pungent - one of China's oldest preserved foods (records date to the Han dynasty). Sichuan-style 豆豉 anchors mapo tofu; Cantonese-style 阳江豆豉 powers steamed-rib and black-bean-sauce dishes.

mistakes

Read 豉 as chǐ (third tone), not shì or shī. The character is unusual enough that even native speakers sometimes guess wrong.