"Peter Dy" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Julian Vrieslander" > wrote in
> message
>
...
> > In article >,
> > "Peter Dy" > wrote:
> >
> > > "Julian Vrieslander" > wrote in
> > > message
> > >
>
...
> > > >
> > > > I doubt it was a bottled sauce. Most of the recipes I've seen start
> > > > with black beans or fermented black beans. I've never used the
> > > > fermented kind - perhaps it provides the viscosity that we noticed.
> > >
> > > Surely you've used the fermented kind; otherwise it would be a Mexican
> or
> > > South American dish and not Chinese. Maybe you're mistaking the dried
> kind
> > > with the wet ones? They're both fermented.
> >
> > I've never actually tried to make Chinese black bean sauce - just looked
> > at recipes. Some of these called for fermented beans, but (if I recall
> > correctly) some just called for dried or canned black beans. Maybe the
> > authors are assuming that a Chinese variety will be used, and that this
> > stuff will be the fermented kind.
>
>
> Ah, ok.


I had meant to add: Yes, I think the recipes you looked at were assuming the
Chinese variety, ie. black, fermented soy beans.

Clams with black bean sauce is horribly easy to make, btw. You should try
it, especially since fresh clams are easy to get in Seattle. Stir-fry
coarsely chopped ginger, scallions, and black beans until fragrant. Add the
clams. Add a touch of soy sauce, some rice wine, and chicken stock or
water. Let cook covered for a bit, until the clams open. Remove the clams,
and add a mixed starch and water solution to the sauce. Heat a bit, then
pour the sauce over the clams.

Peter