Not to be confused with sweet bean paste. Although terms such as “sweet bean sauce” english bread sauce “sweet bean paste” are used to describe the sauce, it is primarily made from fermented wheat flour. A mixture of approximately 19 portions of wheat flour to one portion of soybean is used.
Similar to hoisin sauce, sweet bean sauce may be used in dishes such as Peking Duck. It is also used as a sweeter substitute for saltier yellow soybean paste. In Northern China, the sauce is also eaten with raw scallions. There are many different types of sweet bean sauces.