''Tương'' (, vi-hantu, 醬) is the name applied to a variety of condiments, a kind of

fermented bean paste Fermented bean paste is a category of fermented foods typically made from ground soybeans, which are indigenous to the cuisines of East, South and Southeast Asia. In some cases, such as the production of '' miso'', other varieties of beans, such ...

made from

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source o ...

and commonly used in

Vietnamese cuisine Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages originated from Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes (): sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and Piquant, spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish reflects one or more ...

. Originally, the term refers to a salty paste made from fermented soybeans, which is popular in

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

meals, particularly those prepared and eaten by Vietnamese Buddhist monks. It is also the most typical dipping sauce for summer rolls (). The paste, which is generally dark brown in color, is produced by adding the fungus ''

Aspergillus oryzae ''Aspergillus oryzae'', also known as , is a mold used in East Asia to saccharify rice, sweet potato, and barley in the making of alcoholic beverages such as '' sake'' and '' shōchū'', and also to ferment soybeans for making soy sauce and '' ...

'' to roasted soybeans, which are then allowed to naturally ferment in a jar with water until it develops an

umami Umami ( from ), or savoriness, is one of the five basic tastes. It is characteristic of broths and cooked meats. People taste umami through taste receptors that typically respond to glutamates and nucleotides, which are widely present in me ...

flavor. Other ingredients, such as

glutinous rice Domestication syndrome refers to two sets of phenotypic traits that are common to either domesticated plants or domesticated animals. Domesticated animals tend to be smaller and less aggressive than their wild counterparts; they may also hav ...

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

powder, salt, or water, may also be used. is similar to the Chinese yellow soybean paste, though the latter is generally saltier and thicker in texture. may range in consistency from a thick paste to a thin liquid. Some varieties, such as that prepared in Central Vietnam, are watery, with solids at the bottom of the container in which it is stored. A more condensed variety, called or , is produced in the town of Bần Yên Nhân, in Mỹ Hào district of

Hưng Yên Province Hưng Yên (/hɨŋ˧˧:iən˧˧/) is a province in the Red River Delta of Northern Vietnam. History Dynastic period The area of the province of Hưng Yên has been inhabited for millennia. Under the Ngô dynasty, it was called Dang Chau. It wa ...

, in the

Red River Delta The Red River Delta or Hong River Delta () is the flat low-lying plain formed by the Red River and its distributaries merging with the Thái Bình River in Northern Vietnam. ''Hồng'' (紅) is a Sino-Vietnamese word for "red" or "crimson". T ...

of northern Vietnam, and takes its name from the name of the town. Other varieties of are similarly named for the towns or districts in which they are made, such as (made in a township of Hưng Yên Province), (made in a district of Nghệ An Province), (made in a town in

Hà Tây Province Hà Tây () was a former provinces of Vietnam, province of Vietnam, in the Red River Delta, now part of Hanoi. Geography Hà Tây province was located in the Red River Delta bordering Hanoi municipality, Hưng Yên Province, Hưng Yên, Hà ...

) and (Đường Lâm village, Hà Tây Province). In Southern Vietnam, it is called . is commercially available in glass and plastic jars and bottles throughout Vietnam, as well as in Vietnamese grocery stores overseas. The word can also be used to refer to other condiments, such as (

tomato sauce Tomato sauce (; ; ) can refer to many different sauces made primarily from tomatoes. In some countries the term refers to a sauce to be served as part of a dish, in others it is a condiment. Tomatoes have a rich flavor, high water content, s ...

), (

plum sauce Plum sauce is a viscous, light-brown sweet and sour condiment. It is used in Cantonese cuisine as a dip for deep-fried dishes, such as spring rolls, noodles, deep-fried chicken balls and roast duck. It is made from sweet plums or other fruit s ...

) or (

chilli sauce Chili sauce and chili paste are condiments prepared with chili peppers. Chili sauce may be Scoville scale, hot, Sweetness, sweet or a combination thereof, and may differ from hot sauce in that many sweet or mild varieties exist, which is typic ...

). In southern Vietnam, refers to

soy sauce Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...

while Northern Vietnam calls it .

Varieties

''Tương đen'' (or ''tương ngọt'', or Hoisin sauce)

Phở Phở or pho (, , ; ) is a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles (), herbs, and meat – usually beef (), and sometimes chicken (). Phở is a popular food in Vietnam where it is served in households, street-stalls, and ...

Gỏi cuốn ''Gỏi cuốn'', () nem cuốn, salad roll, summer roll, fresh spring roll, cold roll or rice paper roll is a Vietnamese cuisine, Vietnamese dish traditionally consisting of pork, Shrimp and prawn as food, prawn, vegetables, ''bún'' (rice vermi ...

: a variation of is used. This variation is called . * Bò bía: uses . * Chạo tôm: a variation of is used. This variation is called . * Nem nướng: uses . * Bánh ướt thịt nướng: uses . * Cuốn tôm chua: a variation of is used. This variation is called .

''Tương ớt''

Sauce with chilli and garlic. * Sriracha sauce

Tương Bần and tương Cự Đà

* Boiled water spinach. * : a kind of * Bê thui: a kind of grilled beef.

Tương Nam Đàn

* , a pancake which is similar to .

Etymology

The word derives from the Chinese word (

Chữ Hán ( , ) are the Chinese characters that were used to write Literary Chinese in Vietnam, Literary Chinese (; ) and Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary in Vietnamese language, Vietnamese. They were officially used in Vietnam after the Red River Delta region ...

: ), meaning "paste."

External links

Article about ''tương Bần''Photo of containers of ''tương Bần'', taken in the town of Bần Yên Nhân
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tuong Fermented soy-based foods Umami enhancers Vietnamese cuisine Buddhist cuisine Food paste