Doubanjiang is a paste made from fermented broad beans, salt, chilis, and sometimes wheat flour. The ingredients are mixed and placed in large clay pots to mature for at least a year while being stirred daily.
Depending on the maturing time, which spans from one to eight years, the paste will differ in texture, flavor, and a color that ranges from bright red to dark reddish-brown. Mature doubanjiang will also have a much spicier and saltier flavor.

Asian cuisine has numerous fermented bean pastes made from soybeans which are commonly titled as doubanjiang, but only the bean paste prepared in Sichuan province is the authentic version.

Now you know what to put on your souvenir list when you visit Chengdu!