The secret to good Chinese food? It’s in the sauce: ready-made condiments have the power to transform any dish

Look in your cupboards or fridge and you will probably find one or more of these Chinese condiments: hoisin sauce, dried shrimp paste, soy sauce, oyster sauce
Magical bottles and jars like this have the power to turn any bland dish into a flavour bomb with just a spoonful or two – and nobody considers it cheating

Andrew Sun

Published: 7:45am, 5 Jun 2024

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The secrets to Chinese cooking lie not in the “breath of the wok” or its dynasties-old recipes. No, I think it’s all about the convenient jars of sauces.

Hiding in plain sight on grocery store shelves and the pantry of every household, they can transform any bland plate into a spellbindingly delicious concoction.

I still remember being younger, looking at my mum’s cabinet of condiments and thinking, “How can she tell any of them apart or remember what they are all used for?”

Now I have many of these jars taking up way too much space in my fridge. Some mysteries remain, though. For example, hoisin sauce literally means seafood sauce, but it’s neither made from seafood nor used for seafood.

A jar of Lee Kum Kee’s hoisin sauce. It is neither made from seafood nor used for seafood. Photo: Getty Images

The truth is, you eventually have to use these condiments to prepare most Cantonese dishes. There’s no way most of us are going to make our own black bean sauce, preserved olive paste, chu hou or fermented soybean sauce, dried shrimp paste or oyster sauce.

A spoonful or two can add much to the deep, complex flavours of stir-fried meats and vegetables. Best of all, nobody considers it cheating.

Part of mastering Asian cooking is knowing how to use these instant flavour bombs.

The most basic, of course, is soy sauce. As you progress, you can explore other umami profiles that come from fermented black beans (dou si) or fermented bean curd (namyu or fuyu).

Beyond Guangdong, other Chinese regions have their preferences, like Sichuan’s mala chilli oil and Chiu Chow’s shacha. In Southeast Asia, fish sauce is the elixir of choice.

Different varieties of soy sauce on a store shelf. Photo by: Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Feeling ambitious, I attempted Chinese roast pork and invested in a jar of char siu sauce. The result was OK – it was a little like the difference between store-bought tomato spaghetti sauce and home-made Bolognese.

You can actually make a proper char siu marinade from other sauces. Simply combine some hoisin, red fermented bean curd, oyster sauce, soy sauce, a splash of Shaoxing wine, five spice powder, garlic, honey and brown sugar. That’s the true ragu to authentic char siu.

Once you start using these condiments, it is time to break rules. I take as inspiration a trick from chef Alvin Leung of innovative Hong Kong fine-dining restaurant Bo Innovation.

In lieu of balsamic vinegar in cold dishes with tomatoes and salads, he uses Hong Kong brand Pat Chun’s sweetened vinegar – commonly used in a stew made for post-partum women during their recovery. The result is usually delicious.

A collection of Amoy and Lee Kum Kee brand oyster sauces. Photo: SCMP

Now I dare to use my Chinese jars of sauce in Western dishes too. Recently, I made a Caesar salad dressing with dried shrimp paste. I was short on anchovy fillets, so I grabbed my pungent – some say stinky – fermented fish condiment. Like anchovies, it’s salty, briny, and fishy. Why not substitute it for Mediterranean anchovies in a garlicky Caesar?

Guess what – it kind of works!

Next I am going to experiment with replacing tahini in my hummus recipe with the Chinese sesame paste I use for Sichuan dan dan noodles. To my mind, the only difference is that tahini usually has some olive oil. I think I just need to dilute the thicker paste.

Who needs fancy gourmet markets when I have the local sauce aisle in Wellcome supermarket?