Tianmian sauce (), also known as sweet bean sauce, sweet flour sauce or sweet wheat paste, is a thick, smooth, dark brown or black paste with either a mild, savory or sweet flavor. It is commonly used in Northern Chinese cuisine, Northeastern Chinese cuisine, as well as Korean-Chinese cuisine. Peking duck and ''

jajangmyeon ''Jajangmyeon'' () or ''jjajangmyeon'' () is a Korean Chinese noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of '' chunjang'', diced pork, and vegetables. It is a variation of the Chinese dish '' zhajiangmian''; it developed in the late 19th centur ...

'' are two popular dishes that feature the

sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi- solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavour, texture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French wor ...

Etymology

The Chinese word ''tiánmiànjiàng'' () consists of characters meaning "sweet" (), "flour" (), and "sauce" (). It is also called ''tiánjiàng'' (), which means "sweet sauce". The origin of the Korean word ''chunjang'' () is unknown. One theory is that it derived from the word ''cheomjang'' (), which is the Korean reading of the Chinese characters .

Preparation

Although terms such as "sweet bean sauce" and "sweet bean paste" are used to describe the sauce, it is primarily made from fermented

wheat flour Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of common wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ...

. A mixture of approximately 19 portions of

to one portion of

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source o ...

is used. The

fermentation starter A fermentation starter (called simply starter within the corresponding context, sometimes called a mother) is a preparation to assist the beginning of the fermentation process in preparation of various foods and alcoholic drinks. Food groups w ...

is made from dried or stale '' mantou'' (a steamed bread), wrapped in a variety of

true melon ''Cucumis melo'', also known as melon, is a species of ''Cucumis'' that has been developed into many cultivated varieties. The fruit is a pepo. The flesh is either sweet or bland, with or without an aroma, and the rind can be smooth (such as ho ...

known as ''miangua'' and then bound and hung in a cool, dark place until completely dried. During the fermentation process, the glucose and maltose give the paste its distinctive sweet taste.

Variations and uses

Chinese varieties

Similar to

hoisin sauce Hoisin sauce is a thick, fragrant sauce originating in China. It features in many Chinese cuisine, Chinese cuisines, but is most prominent in Cantonese cuisine. It can be used as a glaze (cooking technique), glaze for meat, an addition to stir fr ...

, sweet bean sauce may be used in dishes such as Peking duck. It is also used as a sweeter substitute for saltier

yellow soybean paste Yellow soybean paste is a Fermented bean paste, fermented paste made from yellow soybeans, salt, and water. Yellow soybean paste is produced in China and is used primarily in Beijing cuisine and other cuisines of Northern and southern China, no ...

. In Northern China, the sauce is also eaten with raw

scallion Scallions (also known as green onions and spring onions) are edible vegetables of various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions. Their close relatives include garlic, shallots, leeks, chive ...

s. There are many different types of sweet bean sauces. Recipes and methods of production vary depending on the geographical region and on manufacturer preferences. In northern China, more sugar is added to the sauce. In southern China, '' mantou'' flour instead of sugar is commonly used as the main ingredient. Traditionally, high-quality sweet bean sauces owe their sweet flavor to the fermentation of starches rather than to the addition of refined sugar. Sweet bean sauce can be found in standard

Asian supermarket In non-Asian countries, an Asian supermarket largely describes a category of grocery stores that focuses and stocks items and products imported from countries located in the Far East (e.g. East Asia, East, Southeast Asia, Southeast and South Asia ...

s under various English names. In Chinese, it is written 甜麵醬.

Korean chunjang

In Korea, ''chunjang'' () is most commonly used to make ''jajang'' (), a black gravy served with a popular noodle dish called ''

''. Other common dishes with ''jajang'' sauce include ''jajang-

bap BAP or bap may refer to: Food * Bap (bread), a bread roll * Bap (rice dish), of Korea People * Bap Kennedy (1962–2016), Northern Irish singer-songwriter * Bronze Age Pervert, Romanian-American right-wing writer and podcaster Music * BAP (Germa ...

'' ("rice with ''jajang'' sauce") and ''jajang- tteok-bokki'' (stir-fried rice cakes with ''jajang'' sauce). Although stir-frying ''chunjang'' to make ''jajang'' is the most common use for the sauce, ''chunjang'' may also be served as an accompaniment to sliced raw

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

s. In most Korean-Chinese restaurants, raw onions, ''chunjang'', and '' danmuji'' (yellow pickled radish) are the basic side dishes. Korean ''chunjang'' is similar to the

Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...

-style ''tiánmiànjiàng'', as it was first used in Incheon Chinatown, where the majority of restaurants were run by Chinese immigrants from

. However, now most Korean-Chinese restaurants are run by Koreans, and ''chunjang'' has adapted to Korean tastes, as have other Korean-Chinese dishes and ingredients.

Gallery

File:Peking duck wrap 1.jpg, Peking duck File:Jajangmyeon by KFoodaddict.jpg, ''

Jajangmyeon ''Jajangmyeon'' () or ''jjajangmyeon'' () is a Korean Chinese noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of '' chunjang'', diced pork, and vegetables. It is a variation of the Chinese dish '' zhajiangmian''; it developed in the late 19th centur ...

'' File:Korean Chinese fried rice.jpg, Korean-Chinese '' bokkeum-bap'' (fried rice) File:Zhajiangmian 20180501.jpg, Zhajiangmian File:Sliced Peking Duck.jpg, Peking duck

References

{{reflist, 2 Chinese condiments Chinese cuisine Chinese sauces Korean cuisine