Puning Doujiang

Place of Origin

Puning, Jieyang, Guangdong, China

Description

Puning doujiang is presented in the form of a yellow-brown thin paste, with clearly identifiable semi-spherical soybean granules. It emits a rich aroma of fermented soybeans, and locals particularly enjoy using it as a seasoning for cooking or as a dip for chicken dishes.

Technical Aspects

Puning doujiang, with its craft dating back to the 17th century, belongs to the category of granular soybean paste. Similar to most soybean pastes, it simultaneously inoculates soybeans and wheat flour during the initial fermentation (qu-making) stage. However, what sets it apart from other soybean pastes is an additional dehulling process before cooking the beans: after dehulling, the soybeans naturally split in half, increasing the substrate surface area for biochemical reactions and giving the final product a unique texture clearly displaying semi-spherical soybean granules.