Yellow Bean Sauce/Bean Sauce

This thick, spicy, aromatic sauce is made with yellow beans, flour, and salt, fermented together. Correctly blended, it is quite salty but provides a distinctive flavour to Chinese sauces and is a frequent addition in Chinese cookery.

There are two forms: whole beans in a thick sauce; and mashed or puréed beans (sold as crushed bean sauce). I prefer the whole bean variety because it is slightly less salty and has a better texture.