They really are the shih
Fermented black beans are called douchi or shih. They typically turn black during fermentation, then are made into a vibrant paste, sauce, or condiment - with or without chilis. They are the shih.
Koji (+/-) Bacillus, Rhizopus, Mucor
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/rzdUGXT8TP-8Uw-a-8QHOA
MAR 22, 2026 - NY: 9:00 AM | UK: 1:00 PM | INDIA: 6:30 PM. With Kirsten K. Shockey, Melissa Hoffman, Ken Fornataro, Anthony DELFAU, James Vergara, and Caspar Hall of zizinia, and a few more amazing guests.
The focus is on making and using molds such as Aspergillus (koji), with other molds, bacteria or yeasts. We’ll focus on using Bacillus based ferments, a bacteria that creates amazing flavors in natto, thua nao, and other regional ferments alone, or when combined with koji on soy or no soy legumes and seeds. And, what happens when you make, or mix what are called alkaline ferments from around the world with others ferments, or further treat them to make foods and condiments asis done with thua nao. We’ll also discuss making vinegars with koji, (or not), plus any basic questions you have about anything in general, troubleshooting, etc. related to qu, Rhizopus, koji, or other mold based cultures.
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They really are the shih
Fermented black beans are called douchi or shih. They typically turn black during fermentation, then are made into a vibrant paste, sauce, or condiment - with or without chilis. They are traditionally made from yellow soybeans.
I used douchi for a special, widely useful condiment, chutney, sauce, jiang, amino paste, etc. Sometimes I will take a small amount of a large batch and add salt, mustard seeds, and dried or fresh chilis. Once I do that, though, it limits its uses.
So, I make a lightly salted, not at all spicy version with add ins (recipe below) that I then refrigerate. It lasts for as long as I don’t eat it. It’s really wildly versatile. You can use it with or without stock or dashi in almost anything. Remember the old Escoffier secret ingredient of soy sauce? This is way better. There are many famous Chinese dishes made with douchi - like Ma Po Tofu - but my Taiwanese friends say the best way to eat them is with fresh pineapple. Like, marinated together for a few hours or even weeks. It is actually insanely good.
The beans or seeds called for douchi can be fermented with Bacillus strains - as I prefer for faster protein breakdown or proteolysis - or fermented with Aspergillus with or without Mucor, and/or Rhizopus strains. The wild culture or mixed culture way is absolutely the most common way it has been made for thousands and thousands of years.
Every country seems to have a similar ferment, often the same exact thing but with their own name. But douchi, or whatever it is called in other countries, are always brined with salt and often lots of other things, then dried. They are typically soft like raisins, and intensely salty.
Finished, douchi are used for cooking, or in other ferments as I demonstrate below. It is an exceptionally easy process to make them, But as I mention below you can use store bought. And at any step along the way, you can stop and use my preparation without adding anything else, or you can go full dragon food and add all the fiery things.
Note: It’s really important to remember that these are not what the Japanese call itohiki (stringy) natto. Not even close, although you absolutely can use natto or a similar stringy, gooey or a dried one in my recipe below.
The Japanese do eat and sometimes make things they call hamanatto or daitokuji natto, but these are definitely not stringy, they have salt, they are brined and dried, they originated in China, and typically contain wild cultures that contain at the very least Aspergillus and Rhizopus species that you’ve probably never heard of, but which confer different tastes based on where they are made and with what.
Well made Japanese itohiki natto is fantastic, but it’s just one of the many ferments made with Bacillus. And other molds are rarely added to natto, but it is definitely not unheard of in Japan or elsewhere.
The Japanese ferment natto is the only Bacillus ferment I know of made with a single Bacillus subtilis species selected for that reason. I’ll try to explain why that’s such an important distinction in a more science related post, but most studies that have been done show that nutritionally or functionally that soybeans are not the only thing that can provide the hoped for health benefits of Bacillus ferments that have been demonstrated with natto. Soybeans are not the only thing that can produce all the things that Bacillus ferments are typically judged for when you are eating them for both flavor and/or health reasons.
Despite popular belief, the stringiness called neba neba is not solely a cultural or aesthetic preference. It’s not essential, but it’s a very good indicator of the nutritional quality of the ferment, as well as the source of a lot of really tasty components. Again, though, soybeans are not the only source of the components that a Bacillus ferment needs and that makes it perform.
Douchi are fermented and salted soybeans that have turned black over time. They are one of the oldest and most concentrated flavoring ingredients in Chinese cooking. If you are not into making the beans yourself, buy some high quality fermented black beans from a store or online. Our friend Lisa Cheng Smith at Yunhai sells luscious fermented black beans. You can also buy them at a local Asian market, or online. They are easy to make yourself, but that takes a while. Hence, why I mentioned I like to use Bacillus fermented beans. (Continues below)