Sauce has been highly valued since ancient times, as Confucius once remarked, "I cannot eat without my sauce." Today, with an ever-increasing variety of sauces, what are the differences among common types like soybean paste, yellow bean paste, and broad bean paste? A reporter from the "Life Times" interviewed Fan Zhihong, an associate professor at the College of Food Science at China Agricultural University.
Yellow bean paste is made by stir-frying, grinding, and fermenting soybeans. It can be used to cook a variety of dishes and is the traditional choice for Zha Jiang Mian (noodles with soybean paste). However, Fan Zhihong notes that some yellow bean pastes are too high in salt and overly salty. Therefore, she suggests mixing yellow bean paste with sweet bean paste in a 1:1 ratio. This creates a more delicious flavor, higher nutritional value, and slightly less salt. Yellow bean paste is rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other essential nutrients for the human body.
The main ingredient of broad bean paste is broad beans. The broad beans are soaked in boiling water until swollen, peeled, then cooked until soft and fermented. Chili peppers and spices are added before it is placed in a jar to mature. Broad bean paste is primarily used as a seasoning for stir-fries and soups, and it is believed to tonify the middle Qi, strengthen the spleen, and promote urination to drain dampness.
Wheat paste is made by steaming flour into mantou (steamed buns), crumbling it, fermenting it with heat, drying it in the sun, and then further aging it in a jar. Wheat paste has the sweetness of sucrose and the aroma of sesame oil, making it suitable for eating raw. It is perfect for dipping scallions, in cold salads, or with roast duck.
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