In a small bowl, mash the fermented bean curd with the brine to a smooth paste. Mix in the sugar, soy sauce and rice wine. Finely mince the garlic cloves. Cut the chillies into thin rings ...

Fermented bean paste, or doubanjiang, adds umami to the dish. The area is known for being humid, so people eat spicy food to get rid of the damp feeling in their bodies. It is said that the dish ...