As a traditional fermented food with profound historical and cultural heritage, Beijing Douzhi carries rich cultural connotations. However, the unique rancid and beany off-flavor of Douzhi leads to strong sensory controversy, which restricts its market promotion. This paper deeply explores the material basis for the unique flavor of Beijing Douzhi, its flavor components and flavor formation mechanism, and microbial species used for its production. It systematically summarizes the influences of different processing techniques, starter cultures and food additives on the flavor of Douzhi. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive theoretical basis for the precise regulation of the flavor of Douzhi, promote the modernization and development of the Douzhi industry, and facilitate the inheritance and innovation of traditional foods in the new era.