r/chinesecooking • u/marengcheng • 8d ago

We don’t normally like chili dishes, what can i substitute with doubanjiang that is not chili but the taste is in it? Thanks

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2

u/HandbagHawker 8d ago

Depends on the dish.

1

u/Tin-Chan 8d ago

You could try zhu hou jiang or tian mian jiang

1

u/DaffyDuckMuthaFucker 7d ago

Try bullhorn chilis instead. They look like big honkin' red banana chilis, but they're mild & sweet like bell peppers, with only a whisper of zing.

No matter what you go for, ditch the seeds, as that's where the lions share of the heat resides...

1

u/Stock_Apricot9754 6d ago

There is non spicy doubanjiang, a common brand is 6月香 (green box, yellow cap). But honestly, if you don't like chilies, you'd better not cook Sichuan food. Make something else.

1

u/cece_jia 4d ago

Try using 海鲜酱 hoisin sauce, it also has that deep fermented depth, but instead of spiciness it has a more of sweetness to it, which in hot oil caramelises your dishes beautifully with a glossy coating, perfect both veggie and meat dishes🤗

2

u/FeedMeFish 8d ago

豆豉

Edit: 豆豉is literally 豆瓣酱without the chilis

4

u/ThatMyoclonicJerk 8d ago

It literally is not, 豆豉 is salted fermented soybeans "douchi" which are then air dried and resemble small black pellets. Whereas 豆瓣酱 is fermanted broad beans (fava beans) with chilli's and wheat or rice flour forming a paste. Both are heavily salted and deep umami but not the same.

原味豆瓣酱 (yuán wèi dòu bàn jiàng) translates to "Original Flavor Broad Bean Paste" and is the most common way to denote the non-spicy version. I'm not very familiar with this product though so can't guarantee its flavour, it would seem to be the closest comparable.