Hoisin sauce is a thick, fragrant sauce commonly used in
Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese or Guangdong cuisine, also known as Yue cuisine ( or ) is the cuisine of Guangdong province of China, particularly the provincial capital Guangzhou, and the surrounding regions in the Pearl River Delta including Hong Kong and Maca ...
as a
glaze for meat, an addition to
stir fry
Stir frying () is a cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok. The technique originated in China and in recent centuries has spread into other parts of Asia and t ...
, or as
dipping sauce
A dip or dipping sauce is a common condiment for many types of food. Dips are used to add flavor or texture to a food, such as pita bread, dumplings, crackers, chopped raw vegetables, fruits, seafood, cubed pieces of meat and cheese, potato chi ...
. It is dark-coloured in appearance and sweet and salty in taste. Although regional variants exist, hoisin sauce usually includes
soybeans,
fennel, red
chili peppers, and garlic. Vinegar,
five-spice powder, and sugar are also commonly added.
Name
The word ''hoisin'' is derived from the
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
words for "seafood" (), although the sauce does not contain any seafood ingredients and is not commonly consumed with seafood. The reason for the name is "seafood flavour", a common adjective in Chinese cuisine, especially
Sichuanese Sichuanese, Szechuanese or Szechwanese may refer to something of, from, or related to the Chinese province and region of Sichuan (Szechwan/Szechuan) (historically and culturally including Chongqing), especially:
*Sichuanese people, a subgroup of the ...
("
fish fragrant").
Ingredients
The key ingredient of hoisin sauce is
fermented soybean paste
Fermented bean paste is a category of fermented foods typically made from ground soybeans, which are indigenous to the cuisines of East, South and Southeast Asia. In some cases, such as the production of ''miso'', other varieties of beans, such a ...
.
Some hoisin sauce ingredients include starches such as
sweet potato
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...
,
wheat and
rice, and water, sugar, soybeans, sesame seeds, white distilled vinegar,
salt, garlic, red
chili peppers, and sometimes
preservatives or
coloring agents. Traditionally, hoisin sauce is made using toasted mashed soybeans.
Uses in regional cuisines
Cantonese cuisine
Hoisin sauce is used in
Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese or Guangdong cuisine, also known as Yue cuisine ( or ) is the cuisine of Guangdong province of China, particularly the provincial capital Guangzhou, and the surrounding regions in the Pearl River Delta including Hong Kong and Maca ...
as a marinade sauce for meat or as a dipping sauce.
Hoisin sauce can be used as a marinade sauce for meat such as
char siu.
Hoisin sauce can be used as a dipping sauce for steamed or panfried
rice noodle roll (chángfĕn 肠粉).
American cuisine
Hoisin sauce can be used as a dipping sauce for
Peking duck and lettuce wraps.
Hoisin sauce can be used as a dipping sauce for
moo shu pork
Moo shu pork (木须肉, also spelled mù xū ròu, moo shi pork, mu shu or mu xu pork) is a dish of northern Chinese origin, originating from Shandong. It invariably contains egg, whose yellow color is reminiscent of blossoms of the osmanthus ...
.
Vietnamese cuisine
In Vietnamese, hoisin sauce is called . It is a popular
condiment for , a Vietnamese noodle soup, in southern Vietnam. The sauce can be directly added into a bowl of at the table, or it can be used as a dip for the meat of dishes. In , hoisin is typically accompanied by
Sriracha sauce
Sriracha ( or ; th, ศรีราชา, ) is a type of hot sauce or chili sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt.
Use
In Thailand, sriracha is frequently used as a dipping sauce, particular ...
or . The hoisin sauce is also used to make a dipping sauce for Vietnamese (often translated as 'spring roll') and other similar dishes. In cooking, it can be used for glazing broiled chicken.
See also
*
Duck sauce
Duck sauce (or orange sauce) is a condiment with a sweet and sour flavor and a translucent orange appearance similar to a thin jelly. Offered at American Chinese restaurants, it is used as a dip for deep-fried dishes such as wonton strips, ...
*
List of dips
*
List of Chinese sauces
*
List of sauces
The following is a list of notable culinary and prepared sauces used in cooking and food service.
General
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* (salsa roja)
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* – a velouté sauce flavored ...
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Oyster sauce
Oyster sauce describes a number of sauces made by cooking oysters. The most common in modern use is a viscous dark brown condiment made from oyster extracts,The Times, 22 January 1981; ''Cook Accidentally on purpose'' sugar, salt and water thick ...
*
Plum sauce
*
Siu haau sauce
Siu haau ( zh, p=shāokǎo) sauce is the primary barbecue sauce used in Cantonese cuisine. It is used during the barbecue-cooking process as opposed to a flavoring sauce after the food is made. It is not used for ''siu mei
''Siu mei'' () i ...
, primary Chinese barbecue sauce
*
Soy sauce
Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...
*
Sweet and sour sauce
References
External links
More about hoisin sauce and recipesWhat Are the Origins of Hoisin Sauce from realclearlife.com
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Chinese condiments
Chinese sauces
Vietnamese cuisine
