· Anna Lee · 6 Comments
An introduction to what the best Chinese sauces are and what sauce to put on Chinese food. These 9 basic Chinese sauces and condiments will help you recreate Chinese restaurant stir fry sauces in your own kitchen.
You just need these 9 basic Chinese seasonings to make delicious Chinese food. These are the ingredients I use 80% of the time.
How To Use Chinese Sauces For Stir Fry?
1. Light Soy Sauce
It’s saltier than regular soy sauce but has lighter color.
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- Both light and all-purpose soy sauce are used when you want to add soy sauce seasoning (salt) to dishes without overwhelming it with a strong soy flavor or making the dish a dark color.
- Light and all-purpose soy sauce are commonly used in all kinds of dishes.
- Recommended Brands: Kimlan (Taiwan), Lee Kum Kee.
- Recommended Dishes: Pepper Steak with onion. Egg Fry Rice. Moo shu chicken
2. Dark Soy Sauce
- Dark soy sauce is more like a food coloring than a condiment.
- It’s mellow, rich, and caramelly.
- You must NEVER use dark soy sauce unless a recipe calls for it – it is very strong and will overpower the dish!
- Recommended Brands: Lee Kum Kee, Pearl River Bridge.
- Recommended Dishes: Mongolian Beef, Dry Chow Mein. Sauteed Eggplant and Green beans
3. Oyster Sauce
- Oyster sauce is a dark, thick sauce made from oyster extract. It is salty, savory, a bit seafood, and lightly sweet.
- It’s used to enhance existing flavors and add a darker color to dishes.
- It’s used in meat and vegetable dishes and is one of the key ingredients in Cantonese cooking.
- A vegetarian version of oyster sauce, made from mushrooms, is also available.
- Recommended Brands: Lee Kum Kee.
- Recommended Dishes: Shirataki Noodles Beef and Broccoli. Kung Pao Chicken
4. Chinese Cooking Wine or Shaoxing Rice Wine.
- They are rice wine made specifically for cooking. They have a salty, harsh alcoholic flavor and it’s not intended for drinking!
- The cooking wine used as a tenderizer in marinades, to add flavor to sauces and in many dishes.
- If you can’t find Shaoxing wine, pale dry sherry makes a good substitute.
- Recommended Brands: Lee Kum Kee, Taiwan Cooking Michiu.
- Recommended Dishes: Moo Goo Gai Pan. Beijing beef, Egg Foo Young
5. Chinese Rice Vinegar.
- The two most common types of Chinese rice vinegar are white and black rice vinegar.
- Most Chinese vinegar is rice-based. Generally milder and with a more subtle flavor than western vinegar.
- Black rice vinegar is much mellow and not as sour as white rice vinegar.
- Balsamic is a good substitute if you can’t locate black rice vinegar.
- Chinese rice vinegar is a key ingredient in several recipes, including sweet and sour and hot and sour dishes, and is used as a dip.
- Recommended Brands: Marukan, Golden PLum Chinkiang
- Recommended Dishes: Sweet and sour pork. Moo shu chicken. Spicy Cucumber Salad
6. Asian Sesame Oil.
- Asian sesame oil is made from pressed and toasted sesame seeds.
- The two most common types of Asian sesame oil are dark amber color and clear with yellow color.
- Dark amber color sesame oil has a rich aroma and flavor than clear with yellow color.
- Asian sesame oil is generally not used as cooking oil, both because of its strong flavor and its relatively low smoke point compared to other oils such as peanut oil.
- All it takes is a small amount of these sesame oils to add flavor to marinades, dips, and cooked dishes.
- Recommended Brands: Lee Kum Kee, Ayam, Kadoya
- Recommended Dishes: Wonton Soup. Potstickers. Kung Pao Chicken
7. Cornstarch (also called Corn Flour)
- Cornstarch is used in marinades, which makes the texture of meat silky and juicy.
- It’s also used as a thickener to stir-fry dishes, soup, and braises.
- Substitutions for cornstarch are tapioca starch and potato starch.
- Recommended Brands: Any brands.
- Recommended Dishes: Sauteed Eggplant and Green beans Teriyaki meatballs. Shrimp With Lobster Sauce
3 Essential Fresh Ingredients – Aromatics
Ginger, garlic, and scallions are essential to Chinese cooking, and they’re used in different ways.
1. Garlic
- Along with ginger, it is often used to season cooking oil.
- It’s normally used to marinades, stir-fry dishes and braises.
Recommended Dishes: Chicken Chow Mein. Bok Choy Stir Fry Chicken And Broccoli
2. Ginger
- Fresh ginger packs tons of warm, pungent, peppery flavor that works so well with seafood, meats, and vegetables.
- Fresh ginger is an essential part of numerous classic dishes, including stir-fries, soups, sauces, and marinades, as well as Indian curries.
Recommended Dishes: Mongolian Beef. Moo Goo Gai Pan. Pork Chops.
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BEST Sweet and Sour Sauce3. Scallions (also called Green Onions)
- The white parts near the roots have the most pungent “onion” flavor and give your recipe the most fragrance.
- The green, leafy parts of the green onion are milder and sweeter, making them ideal for garnishing and adding texture to your dish.
- It’s usually used for meat marinades, stir-fries, and as a garnish for soup.
Recommended Dishes: Scallion pancake. Beef Noodle Soup. Salt and pepper shrimp
Other sauces you should try:
Below you’ll find some sauces that you should try. You can make an extra portion of each sauce, put it in a bottle and freeze it. In this way, you can cook them whenever you want.
