Top Doubanjiang Brands: Spice Up Your Dishes with the Best!

Doubanjiang, a spicy and savory fermented bean paste, is a staple in Chinese cuisine, adding depth and flavor to countless dishes. Selecting the right brand can significantly impact the taste of your culinary creations, making it essential to choose wisely. With so many options available on the market, distinguishing the best from the rest can be a daunting task. To help you navigate this flavorful journey, we've compiled a list of the top doubanjiang brands known for their quality and authenticity. Read on below to discover which brands made the cut.

Illustration of doubanjiang

Best brands of doubanjiang in 2025

Pixian Doubanjiang

Pixian Doubanjiang, especially from renowned brands like Juan Cheng, is highly acclaimed for its authentic and intricate flavor profile, attributed to a fermentation process extending over three years. This unique method, involving exposure to sunlight and specific microbial flora, imparts its characteristic reddish-brown hue and profound umami taste. Juan Cheng, honored as a China Time-Honored Brand since 1688, strictly upholds quality standards by utilizing Erjingtiao chilies and broad beans from east Sichuan and Yunnan province. The paste is recognized as Green Food and holds a protected geographic indication, ensuring both authenticity and quality. It plays a vital role in many traditional Sichuan dishes, like mapo tofu and twice-cooked pork. For more information on their Red Oil Pixian Chili Bean Paste, visit the specified link.

Lee Kum Kee

Lee Kum Kee, a global leader in Asian sauces since 1888, is a renowned producer of doubanjiang, also known as chili bean paste or toban djan. Their version, although made by a Cantonese company, has improved significantly over the years to become more robust and suitable for Sichuan cooking. Lee Kum Kee's doubanjiang contains fermented soybeans and broad beans and is widely available in various packaging options. Despite containing some non-traditional additives, it remains a popular choice for its balanced and accessible flavor profile. The company's commitment to quality and food safety is evident through its "farm to fork" philosophy and strict adherence to international food safety standards.

Laoganma

Laoganma, or "Old Godmother," is one of China's most renowned producers of doubanjiang and other chili sauces, with its products penetrating over 96% of the domestic market and holding more than 65% of the market share. Founded by Tao Huabi in 1997, the company has become a household name, producing 1.3 million bottles of chili sauce daily and generating an annual revenue of 5.02 billion yuan by 2019. Laoganma's success extends internationally, with its condiments sold from the USA to Africa. The brand is known for its high-quality products, such as the Spicy Chili Crisp and Black Beans Chili Sauce, and has been recognized as one of the top 100 brands in China. Despite its global reach, Laoganma maintains a no-nonsense marketing strategy, relying on the quality of its products rather than elaborate advertising. For more information, explore the legendary success of Laoganma.

Lian How

Juan Cheng, a leading brand of Pixian doubanjiang, is highly regarded for its traditional and meticulously crafted fermented bean paste. This brand, part of the Sichuan Pixian Douban Corporation, adheres to strict quality standards, including a long fermentation period often exceeding three years. The ingredients include Erjingtiao chili, broad beans from east Sichuan or Yunnan, and water from Pixian, all following specific GB/T standards. Juan Cheng's Pixian doubanjiang is known for its coarse, earthy texture and robust flavor, making it a favorite among Sichuan food connoisseurs. The product is certified as a China Time-Honored Brand, ensuring its authenticity and quality. To learn more about doubanjiang and buying tips, visit the Viet World Kitchen website.

Juan Cheng

Juan Cheng, a China Time-Honored Brand since 1688, is renowned for producing some of the best Pixian doubanjiang, a fermented mix of broad beans, er jing tiao chilies, salt, and wheat flour. This brand, part of the Sichuan Pixian Douban Corporation, offers both a red-oil version and a 3-year aged premium product, with the latter aged in small earthenware crocks and hand-stirred daily for over 1,000 days. Juan Cheng's doubanjiang is certified as Green Food by the Chinese agency regulating non-chemical food production and is recognized for its complex, umami-rich flavor. The brand's products are free of additives and preservatives, ensuring a pure and natural taste. Juan Cheng's doubanjiang is a key ingredient in many Sichuan classics, including mapo tofu and twice-cooked pork. Explore their red-oil Pixian chili bean paste to enhance your culinary creations.

Yuet Wo

Juan Cheng, a leading brand of Pixian doubanjiang, is renowned for its high-quality and traditionally made fermented chili bean paste. This brand, part of the Sichuan Pixian Douban Corporation, adheres to strict quality standards, including a fermentation period of over 3 years and the use of specific ingredients like Erjingtiao chili and broad beans from east Sichuan. Juan Cheng's doubanjiang is made with 56% water, 10% added salt, and fermented at a temperature of 40°C. The product is certified as a China Time-Honored Brand and meets international safety standards. It is available in both coarse and oily versions, with the 3-year-aged variety being particularly prized for its complex flavor profile.

Pat Chun

Pat Chun is a renowned brand in the production of doubanjiang, a key condiment in Chinese cuisine, particularly celebrated for its rich flavor and high-quality ingredients. Established with a commitment to traditional fermentation methods, Pat Chun ensures a consistent and authentic taste in its doubanjiang products. The brand's attention to detail and strict quality control have earned it a significant market share, with many consumers praising its balanced blend of spices and fermented soybeans. While specific percentages or exact years of establishment may not be widely documented, Pat Chun's reputation as one of the best producers of doubanjiang is well-established among culinary enthusiasts. Its products are often recommended for enhancing the flavor of various Chinese dishes.

Kikkoman

Kikkoman, although primarily known for its soy sauce, has been expanding its global operations, including the production of various food products. However, it is not specifically recognized as a producer of doubanjiang. For doubanjiang, brands like Lee Kum Kee and Juan Cheng are more prominent, with Juan Cheng's Pixian doubanjiang being highly regarded for its authenticity and quality, certified as a "China Time-Honored Brand".

Sichuan Pixian

Sichuan Pixian Douban Co. is renowned as one of the best producers of doubanjiang, with a rich history dating back to 1688. This company, located in the Pidu district of Chengdu, Sichuan, is known for its traditional handcrafted production methods, including daily hand-stirring of the paste in 3-foot-tall earthenware crocks over a period of three years. The doubanjiang is made from fermented broad beans, Erjingtiao chilies, salt, and wheat flour, adhering to strict quality standards and certifications such as China Green Food, FDA, HACCP, ISO 9001, and halal. Pixian doubanjiang is a protected Geographic Indication and a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in China. The company's products meet international safety standards and are free of additives and preservatives. You can find more about their 3-year aged Pixian chili bean paste doubanjiang.

Pearl River Bridge

Pearl River Bridge is renowned for its high-quality Chinese sauces and condiments, with a particular emphasis on its superior soy sauces, which undergo a rigorous fermentation process of over 100 days. This process combines selected soybeans with unique environmental factors found in Southern China. Their products, such as the Mushroom Flavoured Superior Dark Soy Sauce and Gluten Free Soy Sauce, are highly regarded for their distinctive fragrance, aroma, and rich nutrition. These soy sauces are ideal for various culinary uses, including marinating, stir-frying, and dipping. The brand's commitment to ancient ingredients and strict quality control ensures a premium product. Discover more about their exceptional offerings on their official website.