Tianmianjiang (Sweet Bean Sauce)

A thick, dark, sweet-salty paste made from fermented wheat flour and soybeans, sugar, and salt — related to but distinct from hoisin sauce, which is a Cantonese Southern Chinese product.

Flavor Profile

Sweet and savory with a deep, malty fermented character, thicker and less complex than hoisin.

Culinary Uses

Traditional accompaniment to Peking duck (often used interchangeably with or alongside hoisin) and jing jiang rou si (shredded pork in sweet bean sauce).

Regional Variations

Some Beijing-style restaurants insist on tianmianjiang over hoisin for authentic Peking duck service, considering hoisin a Southern Chinese/Western substitution.

Storage

Refrigerate after opening; keeps several months to a year.

Frequently substituted with hoisin sauce outside China, which changes the flavor profile — worth noting as a substitution rather than an equivalent.