Doubanjiang
/ˌdoʊ.bɑːnˈdʒjɑːŋ/noun
A Chinese fermented chili-and-broad-bean paste used as a savory, salty seasoning, especially in Sichuan cuisine.
Did you know?The name comes from the Chinese characters 豆瓣酱: 豆 means “bean,” 瓣 means a segment or petal-like piece, and 酱 means a fermented sauce or paste.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Sinitic
豆
“Bean or legume; the character originally referred broadly to beans and also represented an ancient ritual vessel.”
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
瓣
“A segment, lobe, or petal-like section; later used for pieces of split beans.”
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
醬
“A salted, fermented food paste or sauce, historically made from ingredients such as meat, grain, or beans.”
Pre-modern Chinese
Chinese
豆瓣醬
“Fermented bean-segment paste; the traditional form of the modern name, written with 醬.”
20th Century
Mandarin
豆瓣酱 (dòubànjiàng)
“Fermented bean paste, commonly including chili in Sichuan-style cooking; simplified Chinese uses 酱 for 醬.”
Modern English
English
doubanjiang
“The pinyin-based English culinary loanword for Chinese fermented chili-and-bean paste.”