Bean pastes are pastes prepared from beans such as soybeans, spanning sweet an for confectionery to savoury fermented staples such as miso, doubanjiang, and doenjang for cooking. Fermented versions develop deep umami through microbial transformation of proteins into amino acids and flavour compounds over weeks or months. Salt content, fermentation time and temperature, and hygiene define both their flavour complexity and their safety, with high salt and acidity protecting most traditional pastes. Whether sweet or savoury, bean pastes concentrate the nutritional value of legumes into intensely flavoured forms that season dishes across East Asian cuisines with remarkable economy.