Description

Sweet Bean Sauce (often known as Tianmianjiang or Sweet Flour Sauce) is a thick, dark brown, fermented condiment essential to Northern Chinese cuisine. It provides a savory, umami-rich flavor with a subtle, natural sweetness derived from fermented wheat flour. 
Here is a detailed description of a typical 200g – 300g packet:

1. Product Description & Texture
Appearance: A thick, opaque, glossy, and dark brown to black paste.
Flavor Profile: Balanced savory and salty, with a mild fermented sweetness. It is less sugary than hoisin sauce, with a more complex, earthy fermented aroma.
Key Ingredient: Despite the name “bean” sauce, the primary ingredient is actually fermented wheat flour and salt, sometimes mixed with soy paste. 

2. Main Culinary Uses
Peking Duck: The traditional dipping sauce served with pancakes, cucumber, and scallions.
Zha Jiang Mian (Fried Sauce Noodles): A primary ingredient for the savory pork noodle sauce.
Stir-fries & Braising: Excellent for flavoring meat dishes, particularly pork and chicken (e.g., Jing Jiang Rou Si or shredded pork in sweet bean sauce).
Dipping Sauce: Used forraw vegetables, dumplings, or as a spread for Chinese pancakes (jian bing). 

3. Ingredients & Storage
Ingredients: Typically includes water, wheat flour, sugar/glucose, salt, and soybeans.
Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate after opening to maintain quality.
Shelf Life: Usually around 12–18 months. 

4. Comparison to Similar Sauces
Vs. Hoisin Sauce: Sweet bean sauce is less sweet, has no added spices (like five-spice), and is deeper in savory flavor.
Vs. Doubanjiang: It is not spicy, unlike doubanjiang (chili bean paste).