In Chinese cooking, a small amount of fermented bean curd is used to add flavor to a variety of dishes. Because of the fermentation, red bean curd is often used to marinate beef and poultry, as the alcohol quality will help tenderize the meat before it is slow-cooked or deep-fried. Cubes of red bean curd are packaged in jars along with a thick sauce; the cubes can be added to recipes where they will melt into the rest of the ingredients as they cook. If making a marinade, the cubes are usually mashed prior to adding to the recipe.