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Fermented bean paste is a category of fermented foods typically made from ground soybeans, which are indigenous to the cuisines of East, South and Southeast Asia. In some cases, such as the production of miso, other varieties of beans, such as broad beans, may also be used.

The pastes are usually salty and savoury, but may also be spicy, and are used as a condiment to flavour foods such as stir-fries, stews, and soups. The colours of such pastes range from light tan to reddish brown and dark brown. The differences in colour are due to different production methods, such as the conditions of fermentation, the addition of wheat flour, pulverized mantou, rice, or sugar and the presence of different microflora, such as bacteria or molds used in their production, as well as whether the soybeans are roasted (as in chunjang) or aged (as in tauco) before being ground.

Fermented bean pastes are sometimes the starting material used in producing soy sauces, such as tamari, or an additional product created from the same fermented mass. The paste is also the main ingredient of hoisin sauce.

Due to the protein content of the beans, the fermentation process releases a large amount of free amino acids, which when combined with the large amounts of salt used in its production, produces a highly umami product. This is particularly true with miso, which can be used as the primary ingredient in certain dishes, such as miso soup.

Types

Various types of fermented bean paste (all of which are based on soy and cereal grains) include:

See also

• Bean dip
• List of fermented soy products
• Sweet bean paste

References

1. The Book of Miso, 2nd ed., by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press (1985)
2. Wong, Maggie Hiufu (2022-01-05). "Soy sauce: A beginner's guide to one of the world's favorite ingredients". CNN Travel. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
3. Beck, Andrea (2020-10-09). "The Real Difference Between Soy Sauce And Hoisin Sauce". Mashed.com. Retrieved 2022-03-21.

v t e Soy (Glycine max)
General	Soy allergy Soy candle Soy ink Soy molasses Soy paint Soy protein Soybean Diseases Soybean meal Soybean oil
Soy-based dishes	List of soy-based foods Aburaage Agedashi tofu Bai ye Douhua Dubu kimchi Edamame Hiyayakko Kongguksu Kongnamul Mapo doufu Miso soup Sundubu jjigae Tahu goreng Tofu skin roll Yong tau foo
Plant milk	Soy milk Soy yogurt Vegan cheese
Meat analogues	Beanfeast Tempeh Textured vegetable protein Tofu Tofurkey Vegetarian hot dog Veggie burger
Sauces and condiments	Soy sauce based Ganjang Ponzu Sweet soy sauce Tamari Teriyaki Tsuyu Yìn yóu Pastes Doenjang Doubanjiang Miso Sweet bean sauce Yellow soybean paste Tương Fermented bean Akhuni Fermented bean curd Douchi Kinema Tauco Nattō
Other foods	Mamenori Mao tofu Oncom Soy flour Soy milk based infant formula Soy nut Soy pulp Stinky tofu Tofu skin List of fermented soy products
Biochemicals	Phytoestrogens Genistein Genistin Glycitein Glycitin Ononin Daidzein Equol (metabolite) O-DMA (metabolite) Daidzin (leaves) Globulins (proteins) Beta-conglycinin Glycinin PHAs (lectins) Soybean agglutinin (lectin) Enzymes Beta-amylase Lipoxygenase Cysteine proteases Trypsin inhibitors Kunitz inhibitor Bowman-Birk inhibitor Other Soy lecithin (mix of Phospholipids) Lunasin Unsaponifiables Tocopherols Sterols Antinutrients Phytates Protease Inhibitors Cystatins
Companies	8th Continent Alpro Boca Burger Gardenburger Kikkoman Morningstar Farms Mr Bean Plamil Foods Silk So Good Tofutti Vitasoy Yamasa Yeo Hiap Seng
Other	Diet for a Small Planet Kikkoman Soy Sauce Museum William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi Yuasa, artisan town of historic soy sauce distilleries
Category: Soybeans

• Fermented soy-based foods
• Food preservation
• Food ingredients
• Chinese condiments
• Umami enhancers
• Food paste