Fermented black beans are used predominately in Asian cooking. They are made by fermenting black soybeans with salt and sometimes ginger. They are most commonly used in stir-fries, braised dishes, sauces, or steamed meat dishes.
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How To Use It?
To bring out the flavors a bit more, it can be lightly chopped or slightly mashed with the side of your knife. They can also be used with fish but very sparingly since it has a very strong flavor that can overwhelm a dish. This ingredient is really potent so a little goes a long long way and it is very easy to overpower a dish if you put too much of it in.
Before you use it, it is good practice to give the beans a quick rinse under water to remove the excess salt, the water also reconstitutes the beans and makes them easier to work with as well.
Where Can I Buy It?
You can find this in Asian grocery stores but they are most common in Chinese grocery stores. If you cannot find it locally, you can find it online on Amazon as well. Unfortunately, I have not found a good substitution for this ingredient.
How to Store It
You can store these in your pantry if it is in an air-tight container away from direct sunlight however we like to store these in the fridge to be safe. If you are storing them in the fridge, use an air-tight container and it can pretty much last forever.
Recipes That Use Fermented Black Beans
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