Douchi facts for kids
A close-up of douchi
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| Alternative names | Fermented black soybeans, Chinese fermented black beans, salted black beans, salty black beans |
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| Place of origin | Chinese |
| Main ingredients | Fermented soybean |
| Douchi | |||||||||||||||||||||
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"Douchi" in Chinese characters
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| Chinese | 豆豉 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | dòuchǐ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Jyutping | dau6-si6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Douchi (Chinese: 豆豉; pinyin: dòuchǐ) is a special kind of soybean product. It is also known as fermented black soybeans or Chinese fermented black beans. People make it by fermenting and salting black soybeans. This food is very popular in Chinese cooking. It is often used to create delicious black bean sauce dishes.
To make douchi, black soybeans are fermented and salted. This process makes the beans soft and usually semi-dry. Sometimes, regular white soybeans are used too. But these turn brown and are called mianchi. Douchi has a strong, spicy smell. Its taste is salty, a little bitter, and slightly sweet.
It's important not to confuse douchi with black turtle beans. Black turtle beans are a different type of bean. They are often used in the foods of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Contents
History of Douchi
Fermented black soybeans are one of the oldest foods made from soybeans. They have been around for a very long time!
Ancient Discoveries
In 165 BCE, archaeologists found douchi in a tomb in South Central China. This tomb, called Han Tomb No. 1 at Mawangdui Tomb Site, was sealed around 165 BCE. It was first opened in 1972. The tomb belonged to a high-ranking woman. The discovery showed that douchi was an important food even back then.
Douchi in Ancient Texts
Around 90 BCE, a famous book called Records of the Grand Historian mentioned shi. This was another name for salty fermented soybeans. The book showed that douchi was a valuable item in China. For example, when a prince was sent away from his home in 173 BCE, he was given important things like rice, salt, and shi. This shows how important douchi was for daily life.
How Douchi is Used
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Douchi is mainly used as a seasoning to add flavor to dishes. It is not meant to be eaten in large amounts because it is quite salty.
Popular Dishes with Douchi
You can find douchi in many Chinese dishes. For example, it is used in mapo tofu. It also adds flavor to fish or stir-fried vegetables. Some common vegetables used with douchi are bitter melon and leafy greens.
You might find small packets of douchi in stores that sell Chinese foods. Some popular dishes include steamed spare ribs with fermented black beans and chili pepper. Another one is braised mud carp with fermented black beans.
Douchi Around the World
Fermented black soybeans are an old traditional food. They are used as seasonings in many Far Eastern countries. Chinese communities living in other parts of the world also use them. They are known by different names in different places.
- In Japanese, douchi can be called daitokuji natto or hamanatto.
- In Korea, a similar black bean sauce is called chunjang. It is used in the popular noodle dish jjajangmyeon.
- In Thailand, this sauce is known as เต้าซี่. Thai people use it in traditional Chinese recipes.
- In Vietnam, it is called tàu xì or đậu xị.
- In Cambodia, douchi is called seang. It is often used with fermented salted fish called prahok.
- In Philippine cuisine, it is called tausi. This name comes from the Chinese dialect Hokkien. It is often used when steaming fish.
- In Cantonese-speaking areas, douchi is called dau6si6.
- In Chinese Indonesian cuisine, it is also called tausi. It is used in dishes like kakap tahu tausi.
- In Spanish-speaking parts of Latin America, douchi is often called tausí.
- Similar fermented foods in Africa include ogiri and iru.
Black Bean Paste
A popular condiment made from douchi is called black bean paste or black bean sauce. It is also known as black bean garlic sauce. This sauce is made from douchi, garlic, and soy sauce. It is very popular in Chinese cooking.
See also
In Spanish: Tausí para niños
