SPICEography 
Doubanjiang is a legendary seasoning paste from China’s Sichuan province. Because it is essential to the flavor profiles of dishes from this part of China, you should only opt for substitutes as a last resort. If you can’t find the real thing, here are some of the best doubanjiang substitutes …
Doubanjiang and gochujang are spicy pastes used in Asian cooking. Both contain beans and are sources of umami and saltiness. You can use them to add deep and complex flavors to food. Doubanjiang is called the soul of Sichuan cooking, and gochujang is one of the fundamental elements of Korean …
Doubanjiang is a fermented paste consisting of broad beans and chili peppers. While it comes from the Sichuan province, versions of doubanjiang are used all over China, with properties that vary from region to region. Doubanjiang is one of the main seasonings in food from Sichuan, so much so that …
When cooking with vegetable oil, it can be helpful to know the vegetable from the oil was derived. The typical grocery store vegetable oil is sometimes a blend of assorted vegetable oils, but at other times it will be one type of oil. For example, vegetable oil is often 100 …
Mizuame is a Japanese sweetener traditionally made from rice and that consists mostly of maltose. You will need it to get the glossy sheen seen on some Japanese confections. Mizuame may not be an easy product to find outside of Japan, even in Asian grocery stores; however, many alternatives are …
Sweet bean sauce and hoisin sauce are two Chinese condiments with similar flavors and consistencies. It’s important to note here that many articles and recipes online refer to hoisin sauce as sweet bean sauce and vice versa. As a result, some people may believe that they are interchangeable, but they …
Mizuame is a traditional form of Japanese candy made using rice. The name translates to water candy. Other names for it include millet jelly. The name is sometimes written as mizu-ame. Mizuame’s origin goes back to the Heian era (794-1185). It was used to make amezaiku candy that was used …
Prahok is one of the fundamental ingredients in Cambodian cuisine. It is important enough that it will be difficult to make most Khmer dishes without it. It might not be the easiest ingredient to find if you don’t live in Cambodia or a location with a sizable population of Cambodian …