~ Time Out to Define: Hoisin Sauce & Oyster Sauce ~
Since I am about to embark on a little mid-January trist with Chinese food, I decided to define two of the most used sauces in the Chinese pantry: Hoisin and Oyster. Why? Because too many Americans think they are "almost the same" and can be used interchangeably: wrong.
Hoisin Sauce (HOY-sihn): "Hoisin" means "sea-fresh" in Chinese, but contains no seafood and is not served with seafod either. Sometimes referred to as "Peking sauce", it is a rich, reddish-brown sauce with a sweet, tangy flavor. It's made from soybeans, sesame seeds, garlic, chile peppers, salt, sugar and spices. Besides being used as a table condiment, it is used in the preparation of many chicken and pork dishes, as well as a barbecue sauce for spareribs.
Oyster Sauce: In ancient times, this thick, brown sauce was made from boiling oysters, brine and soy sauce until thick and concentrated. It was quite salty and fishy tasting.
Nowadays, oyster-flavored sauce, made with oyster extracts, soy protein, sugar and salt, is quite pleasant tasting. It is used as a seasoning sauce and gets added to stir-fries to enhance flavor without overpowering the natural flavor. It is not used as a table condiment.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photo courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2014)
Comments