I have an eggplant recipe that calls for "Back Bean PASTE". All I could find
at a local Ralph's (which to be fair, had about 7 feet of Asian products, 5
shelves high)--but all I could find was "Black Bean SAUCE" and "Black Bean
Garlic Sauce" . Any opinions on this--Are either of the "sauce" products
equal to the "paste" ?
TIA--------------Nancree

Nancree wrote:
>
> I have an eggplant recipe that calls for "Back Bean PASTE". All I could find
> at a local Ralph's (which to be fair, had about 7 feet of Asian products, 5
> shelves high)--but all I could find was "Black Bean SAUCE" and "Black Bean
> Garlic Sauce" . Any opinions on this--Are either of the "sauce" products
> equal to the "paste" ?
> TIA--------------Nancree

Not really. You would be better off to go to the Asian shop/grocer and
get the real salted black beans. The supermarket sauces have too many
other additives in them and just don't taste good.
The salted/fermented black beans keep for ages in the fridge or freezer.
Take out what you need and rinse them briefly; although often I don't
rinse them at all. Mash them to a paste and go on with your recipe.

On Fri, 02 Apr 2004 18:04:44 -0700, Arri London
> wrote:

> Nancree wrote:
> >
> > I have an eggplant recipe that calls for "Back Bean PASTE". All I could find
> > at a local Ralph's (which to be fair, had about 7 feet of Asian products, 5
> > shelves high)--but all I could find was "Black Bean SAUCE" and "Black Bean
> > Garlic Sauce" . Any opinions on this--Are either of the "sauce" products
> > equal to the "paste" ?
> > TIA--------------Nancree
>
Nan... if you haven't found black beans or black bean paste
by now, just decide which sauce would work better for you in
the recipe: garlic or no garlic?

Whenever I've used recipes that call for a black bean paste,
it usually ends up as a sauce anyway, so don't stress. It's
just mashed up fermented beans.

;-)


Practice safe eating - always use condiments