Chinese Black Bean Sauce

[dddave]

I've always loved Chinese dishes enhanced with fermented Black Bean sauce: Beef & Broccoli, Green Beans, Chow Foon Noodles...the list could go on.

Has anybody seen Black Bean sauce for sale in any Thai grocery stores or in Chinatown?  How is it referred to locally?

I did find fermented soybeans in my local Max Value and the flavor is similar but some genuine Black Bean sauce would be a treat.

[Briggsy]

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=ซอสถั่วดำ&client=firefox-b&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0s5vY7s_QAhUJtY8KHfo9C-QQ_AUICCgB&biw=1280&bih=689#imgrc=87_GnkO5dVICyM%3A

 

http://www.tops.co.th/p/CookingSauce_SeasoningSauce/Songpeenong-Black-Beans-Sauces-Original-Formula-410ml

 

99 Baht at Tops.

[dddave]

Thanks Briggsy for the speedy reply and Tops link.  I'll be enjoying it by tomorrow night.

Edited November 30, 2016 by dddave

[meatboy]

if you cant find any,i use tesco's fermented soy bean and thick dark soy.

[notmyself]

I did find fermented soybeans in my local Max Value and the flavor is similar but some genuine Black Bean sauce would be a treat.

 

Makro (Samui) sell black bean paste at 70 Baht but it is a nightmare finding fermented black beans here and you need both. It should be noted that this paste is very very rich because it is a base ingredient rather than a premade (use the whole pack) sauce. I heaped teaspoon is enough for a dish so it goes a long way. I press the whole pack into an ice tray and put them into a bag after freezing.

[Oxx]

On 30/11/2016 at 1:38 PM, Briggsy said:

http://www.tops.co.th/p/CookingSauce_SeasoningSauce/Songpeenong-Black-Beans-Sauces-Original-Formula-410ml

 

I suspect this is not the kind of black bean sauce that the OP is looking for.  That brand has two versions, one is a liquid (a substitute for soy sauce), and one is thick (a substitute for oyster sauce).  However, mixing then with fermented black beans would probably be OK.

 

[NickJ]

It's not the sauce is after. I have looked everywhere.  I did find a packet at Tops that had the correct sauce in it.

Don't waste your time and money on the other stuff. it does not taste anything like the fermented ground black beans that they use in those dishs.

 

[CLW]

It's not the sauce is after. I have looked everywhere.  I did find a packet at Tops that had the correct sauce in it.
Don't waste your time and money on the other stuff. it does not taste anything like the fermented ground black beans that they use in those dishs.
 

Do you have a picture?
Thanks

[NickJ]

You should also play around with the Korean sauces readily available here. They come in different sized tubs. red, brown and green. The brown one is pretty much a flavored miso paste.

Edited December 27, 2016 by NickJ
None

[mike324]

Easy to make yourself https://jamesbonfieldrecipes.wordpress.com/2011/01/01/how-to-make-black-bean-sauce/

 

[mike324]

On 12/27/2016 at 10:40 AM, NickJ said:

You should also play around with the Korean sauces readily available here. They come in different sized tubs. red, brown and green. The brown one is pretty much a flavored miso paste.

 

The Korean ones are not close to what the OP is looking for.

Lee Kum Kee does make black bean sauce in a jar, but not sure if they are available in Thailand.

 

[CLW]

It's not the sauce is after. I have looked everywhere.  I did find a packet at Tops that had the correct sauce in it.
Don't waste your time and money on the other stuff. it does not taste anything like the fermented ground black beans that they use in those dishs.
 

Found it also at Central Food Hall at Siam Paragon.
Btw is this sauce also used in Mapo Tofu?

[Jingthing]

Found it also at Central Food Hall at Siam Paragon.
Btw is this sauce also used in Mapo Tofu?

Definitely not.

[xylophone]

7 minutes ago, CLW said:

Btw is this sauce also used in Mapo Tofu?

I don't think so because I think the sauce used in Mabo Tofu is more of a Tamarind based sauce, however you can buy the sauce already in packets certainly in Big C and I think I've seen it in Tesco Lotus as well........... I love making this with pork mince and tofu and I add some sweet chili sauce to it just before it finishes cooking!!

[CLW]

Just confused because this recipe calls for black bean sauce...

http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/mapo-tofu/

[Oxx]

56 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Mabo Tofu is more of a Tamarind based sauce

 

No, it's not.  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapo_doufu

[xylophone]

42 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

No, it's not.  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapo_doufu

Having trouble posting this so will try again...........

 

Seems like there are several different recipes for this dish and this and a few others do mention Tamarind sauce as does the packet which can be bought here.

 

https://snapguide.com/supplies/chinese-tofu/

 

Here is an super EZ way to make delicious MAPO TOFU, enjoy~ Ground garlic ... palm sugar, tamarind paste, shrimp paste, fish sauce, shallot, fermented radish.
 

Edited February 20, 2017 by xylophone

[xylophone]

Seems like there are several different recipes for this dish and this and a few others do mention Tamarind sauce as does the packet which can be bought here.

 

https://snapguide.com/supplies/chinese-tofu/

 

Here is an super EZ way to make delicious MAPO TOFU, enjoy~ Ground garlic ... palm sugar, tamarind paste, shrimp paste, fish sauce, shallot, fermented radish.
 

Edited February 20, 2017 by xylophone

[Oxx]

2 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Seems like there are several different recipes for this dish and this and a few others do mention Tamarind sauce as does the packet which can be bought here.

 

https://snapguide.com/supplies/chinese-tofu/

 

Here is an super EZ way to make delicious MAPO TOFU, enjoy~ Ground garlic ... palm sugar, tamarind paste, shrimp paste, fish sauce, shallot, fermented radish.
 

 

I'm guessing that Google is not your friend.

 

From your link, the full quote "I use pad Thai sauce ready to use. You can also make it from palm sugar, tamarind paste, shrimp paste, fish sauce, shallot, fermented radish" - not the Chinese dish.

 

And from the same site, the recipe for Mapo Tofu:

 

https://snapguide.com/guides/make-easy-chinese-mapo-tofu/

 

Not even a single drop of tamarind.

 

I'd be interested, however, to see the "few others [that] do mention Tamarind sauce".  Rather doubt they exist, and would love to learn something new.  Please do enlighten me.

 

 

[xylophone]

14 hours ago, Oxx said:

 

I'm guessing that Google is not your friend.

 

From your link, the full quote "I use pad Thai sauce ready to use. You can also make it from palm sugar, tamarind paste, shrimp paste, fish sauce, shallot, fermented radish" - not the Chinese dish.

 

And from the same site, the recipe for Mapo Tofu:

 

https://snapguide.com/guides/make-easy-chinese-mapo-tofu/

 

Not even a single drop of tamarind.

 

I'd be interested, however, to see the "few others [that] do mention Tamarind sauce".  Rather doubt they exist, and would love to learn something new.  Please do enlighten me.

 

 

Ah, sad that you had to use sarcasm to point out a genuine error!

 

What you may well have noticed in another post of mine above is the fact that I couldn't post what I wanted because I was having computer problems at the time and although I do know how to use Google, when the computer insists upon freezing, then it does hamper searches.

 

I was obviously getting Mabo Tofu mixed up with Pad Thai, somewhat exacerbated by the fact that online there are Chinese tofu dishes which do use tamarind paste, hence the error.

 

For the record the Mabo Tofu sauce which I use contains the following ingredients: –

 

WATER, GARLIC, TOMATO PASTE, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, SESAME OIL, SUGAR, GINGER, SPRING ONION, SPICES (RED PEPPER, BLACK PEPPER), SOYBEAN PASTE (SOYBEAN, RICE, SALT, WATER), DOUBANJIANG (RED PEPPER, BROAD BEAN, STARCH SYRUP, SALT, ALCOHOL, FERMENTED RICE SEASONING), AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, VINEGAR, XANTHAN GUM, CARAMEL COLOR, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, PAPRIKA

 

There you go, consider yourself enlightened.

[Jingthing]

The  DOUBANJIANG is the key ingredient for Mapo. It's a SECHUAN ingredient.

[CLW]

The  DOUBANJIANG is the key ingredient for Mapo. It's a SECHUAN ingredient.

Is it easily available?

[Jingthing]

Is it easily available?

Have never found in Thailand. Have had Chinese restauranteurs here tell me they import it themselves. Most Chinese restaurants here don't even use it so they can't do it authentically. Bizarre considering you can buy it at any decent Asian grocery in the U. S.

[CLW]

Have never found in Thailand. Have had Chinese restauranteurs here tell me they import it themselves. Most Chinese restaurants here don't even use it so they can't do it authentically. Bizarre considering you can buy it at any decent Asian grocery in the U. S.

Thanks.
You seem to be an expert for Chinese food ingredients [emoji4]
I have another question, how about this chillies in oil, served as condiment.
When I was in China, I liked it very much.
It's not that spicy compared to the Thai version.
Can I buy it here or do you have a recipe to make it at home?

[Jingthing]

Good question.

I've seen that at some better Chinese restaurants here. 

I'm sure you could find a recipe but I've never bothered making it myself.

One thing I do make often is ginger scallion sauce for cold chicken.

Basically grind up ginger in a food processor, add salt and chopped scallions.

Then bathe it in hot oil. Cool and serve with poached chicken and rice. 

[CLW]

Definitely not.

I tried it for Ma Po Tofu and it tasted good.
Considering that you can't get some of the authentic ingredients here, I would say you can use this black bean sauce.

[Jingthing]

Looks to me like tofu in black bean sauce which is definitely a thing. If you like beef, try it with beef. That isn't mapo tofu. Black bean sauce is a great ingredient but it's not the same as the very RED fermented broad bean chile paste (and Sechuan peppers in more roots Sechuan recipes) in mapo tofu. 

Edited March 20, 2017 by Jingthing

[xylophone]

On 2/21/2017 at 7:42 PM, CLW said:

Is it easily available?

All done for you in this packet available here...........

 

[EzekielRage]

Here in Chiang Mai at the Friday hilltribe market and in various other back alley shops they sell an excellent black bean suspended in oil sold in red jars (which means you don't really have to add much more).

Authentic Chinese brand brought over from China via Mae Sai. Think they also do Szechuan chili sauce too. I used it for several years in my restaurant. Cheap too. Don't have a photo right now but can do soon.

[jfjeschke]

Hey EzekielRage, I've been looking for the black bean & Szechuan jars, but can't seem to find them. Do you know the locations of these back alley shop?