Chinese black bean sauce 豆豉酱 (dòu chǐ jiàng)

A lumpy brown sauce made from fermented soybeans, it has a savory flavor and can be found in jars at most Asian grocery stores. When cooking with it, it is usually wise to omit salt from the recipe, because the sauce can taste very salty. It is sometimes referred to as black bean paste. You may substitute Chinese whole fermented black beans or chili bean sauce.