Hoisin Sauce Vs Oyster Sauce
Hoisin and oyster sauces may be frequently confused with one another, but they are certainly not the same thing. Here are just a few of the differences:
- The key ingredient in hoisin sauce is fermented soybean paste. Oyster sauce, meanwhile, starts with oyster extract.
- Both sauces contain sugar, but hoisin is generally sweeter than oyster sauce.
- The consistency of each sauce varies depending on the brand, but hoisin is usually thicker than oyster sauce. It has a glossy, red finish that’s similar to American barbecue sauce.
How To Store Hoisin Sauce
You can store an unopened bottle of hoisin sauce in a cool, dark place in your pantry. Itll easily last for a couple of years. Just make sure to check the bottle for its best by date to make sure that you dont use it past that point.
If youve had the sauce in your pantry for quite some time, then make sure that it is mold-free and doesnt smell bad.
Once you open a bottle of hoisin sauce, make sure to refrigerate it after using it. Itll easily last for about a year in your fridge due to the high salt content that helps keep mold and bacteria at bay.
However, before using it, make sure to check the refrigerated sauce for signs of bad odor, mold, and discoloration.
Substitutions For Hoisin Sauce
While Hoisin sauce is readily available in many supermarkets these days, and probably the easiest-to-find soybean-based paste or sauce, you might not have it on hand.
If you do happen to have sweet bean paste or sweet bean sauce, you can sub either in and thin them out with a little bit of hot water if too thick. You can also substitute Chee Hou Sauce, which has the same basic ingredients, in addition to other spices and seasonings.
We know it seems crazy to focus so much on their differences only to say that they can be subbed in for each other. However, its good to be aware of what makes each ingredient distinct, while also being aware that they all do offer umami and a little bit of sweetness!
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How Do You Make Hoisin Sauce From Scratch
It is possible to make your own hoisin sauce from scratch, but to make it authentically requires black bean paste. This ingredient is essential for authenticity, but difficulty to source.
The second essential ingredient that can be hard to find is Chinese 5-spice seasoning. While black bean sauce can be substituted, 5-spice is vital.
Hoisin is made by blending a mixture of black bean sauce, Chinese 5-spice, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and a splash of hot sauce.
The process is relatively simple, and for Asian cookery fans many of the ingredients are store cupboard staples. If you cant find black bean paste, there are options.
A popular choice is smooth peanut butter, as this adds umami taste and the same thick consistency. Another option is molasses. Peanut butter is the closest match, but look for unsweetened.
How Is It Used
Hoisin Sauce is used commonly in Cantonese-style cooking. Its used in marinades and sauces for BBQ meats like Chinese BBQ Spareribs, BBQ Pork , or even our interpretation of a Thanksgiving Turkey roasted in a Cantonese-style.
It is used in Beijing as a condiment for Peking Duck, a dish well-known around the world.
It can also be applied to the Chinese American favorite, Moo Shu Chicken, along with mandarin pancakes. For vegetarians, it can also be used with our Vegetable Moo Shu.
Hoisin sauce is also used in Vietnamese cuisine, often served with Pho noodle soups.
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A Little Bit Of Hoisin Goes A Long Way And You’ll Soon Think Of Ways To Mix This Homemade Version Into All Of Your Favorite Chinese Dishes
You’ll likely find a plastic bottle or ceramic bowl of hoisin on the table at your local Chinese-American restaurant. The sauce, thick and nearly jet-black, is a staple in many dishes. The mixture of brown sugar, black bean and garlic paste, and spices is at once sweet, salty, and funky.
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6tablespoonsdark brown sugar
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3tablespoonblack bean and garlic paste
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3tablespoonswater
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1/2teaspoonChinese five-spice powder
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1/2teaspoonsesame paste
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1/4teaspoonsriracha
Recipes Using Hoisin Sauce
- Hibachi Shrimp with Fried Rice This Japanese style Hibachi Shrimp made with sautéed vegetables served over top of a simple fried rice is an easy and delicious dinner that also serves as a delicious meal prep.
- Hibachi Chicken with Fried Rice The chicken version of hibachi shrimp, this hibachi chicken is full of flavour!
- Honey Hoisin Beef Bowls Made in under 30 minutes, this Honey Hoisin Beef Bowls is the perfect mix of sweet and savoury! This quick recipe makes for a delicious meal prep or as a last minute meal.
- Hoisin Sriracha Glazed Meatballs This Asian inspired meatball recipe, Hoisin Sriracha Glazed Meatballs, will quickly become a household favourite! Coated with a delicious sticky sauce with a hint of spice, youre going to want to eat it all week!
- Slow Cooker Hoisin Chicken This Slow Cooker Hoisin Chicken is so easy to throw together! Once in the slow cooker, you just let it work its magic! This rich, slightly sweet sauce coats the chicken and always hit the spot.
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Is It Possible To Use Worcestershire Sauce Instead Of Hoisin Sauce
Although they can both work in a pinch, hoisin sauce and Worcestershire sauce are not good alternatives for each other. The blend of umami and sweet flavorings in these sauces is comparable.
Worcestershire sauce, on the other hand, is much thinner than hoisin and has a fruitier flavor. Hoisin sauce is thick and has a tangy vinegar flavor.
When hoisin is only used for a little portion of a sauce or marinade, these substitutes work best. Worcestershire sauce will not have the correct consistency to serve as a dipping sauce for hoisin.
If you want to replace Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce is a superior choice.
Although there is still a flavor and texture difference, oyster sauce is more akin to Worcestershire sauce due to the same seafood bases.
Soy sauce also works well, and hoisin mixed with soy sauce is a better Worcestershire sauce replacement.
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What Tastes Like Hoisin Sauce
Hoisin sauce is a unique flavor, due to the combination of salty, sweet, and umami. The rich and thick texture also sets it apart from other sauces. However, that doesnt mean its impossible to replace.
The best way to find something that tastes like hoisin sauce is to play around. Hoisin is sometimes considered Chinese barbecue sauce, so American barbecue sauce is a good place to start.
This has the same blend of sweet and salty. Adding molasses will give it depth, soy brings umami, and Chinese 5-spice will add some authenticity.
If you can find black bean sauce, then this is a similar base flavor to hoisin. With the addition of soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine vinegar, it becomes layered.
Oyster sauce has a similar, if thinner consistency, and the same umami profile as hoisin. Use a little, and sweeten with brown sugar.
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What To Use Hoisin Sauce For
From stir fries to noodle bowls, hoisin sauce will work in nearly every kind of dish for a pop of Cantonese flavor! We have been loving this as a dipping sauce in my house. I love to serve hoisin sauce up with appetizers like wontons, dumplings and spring rolls. It enhances foods that you wouldnt think were able to taste any better!
Dinner
Authentic Hoisin Sauce Recipe
Lets get started!
There are just two steps: 1) Place all the ingredients in a blender and 2) Puree until smooth. Thats it, youre done!
*NOTE: Were adding a few prunes for sweetness and texture. However, hoisin sauce is not the same thing as plum sauce.
Store the sauce in the fridge in a non-reactive airtight container. It will keep for about a week.
Enjoy!
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What Is Hoisin Sauce
Hoisin sauce is a condiment based on fermented soybean paste with other flavors and spices. It adds an Asian flavor to dishes, combining umami with sweet, tangy, and spicy elements. It is not made with any animal products and is therefore suitable for vegans and vegetarians, although it is traditionally served with Peking duck, a Cantonese dish. Since it is typically made with soybeans, you would have to look for a soy-free version made with a different bean if you are eliminating soy from your diet.
Where To Buy Hoisin Sauce
I see hoisin sauce is pretty much everywhere! I no longer have to go to an Asian grocer to get hoisin sauce. However, if you cannot find it, you can always find it online. Its even on Costcos website!
It also comes in different varieties such as garlic hoisin, lime cilantro hoisin, and lemongrass chili hoisin. My go-to is garlic hoisin!
I prefer buying the bottled version vs the jarred version as its much easier to use and you dont have to worry about cross-contamination from scooping it out of a jar.
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What Is It Made Of
Hoisin sauce is made from a combination of fermented soybean paste, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, chiles, and sweetener. Commercially prepared hoisin sauce might have preservatives, stabilizers, and coloring agents added. The ingredients in the popular Lee Kum Kee brand include sugar, water, fermented soybean paste , salt, sweet potato powder, modified cornstarch, sesame paste, garlic, chili peppers, and spices.
Hoisin Sauce Benefits + Side Effects
What are hoisin sauce benefits and side effects every ethical consumer must know? Here are hoisin sauce pros and cons and how buying it will impact your health, the environment, animals and laborers.
Food is something we consume every day and if youre like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you dont hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info Ive found on hoisin sauce benefits and side effects.
You are going to learn all about hoisin sauce benefits and side effects. This will include hoisin sauce benefits for your health and potential risks, hoisin sauce sustainability, if hoisin sauce is vegan or impact animals in other ways, and much more.
After learning if hoisin sauce is good or bad for you, the environment, animals and human rights, you will be prepared to make the best choices you can the next time you buy food.
This post is all about hoisin sauce benefits and side effects that every ethical consumer should know.
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What Is Hoisin Sauce And What Does It Taste Like
Wondering what is hoisin sauce and how you can use it in your dishes?
Hoisin sauce is used in Asian, particularly Cantonese, cuisine. Its a salty and fragrant sauce thats readily used in marinades, vegetable stir-fries , and grilled dishes.
It is widely used in Chinese dishes as well as some Vietnamese food recipes and is sometimes referred to as Chinese barbecue sauce.
I first discovered hoisin sauce while I was exploring the local supermarket.
I bought it on a whim and used it in my stir-fry recipe. The moment I tasted that dish I knew that I wouldnt stop using it in my Asian recipes anytime soon!
Thats when I decided to learn more about this rich and flavorful condiment.
Want to know more about what is hoisin sauce? Read on to find out!
Where To Use It
Hoisin sauce is incredibly versatile! It can be used:
- In stir-fries: Stir in a tablespoon of hoisin sauce at the end of cooking. It also makes a great base for noodle sauces.
- As a glaze: For seitan, tempeh, or tofu.
- As a dipping sauce: For tofu nuggets, roasted vegetables, spring rolls, egg rolls, and more!
- Added to soups: Hoisin sauce is sometimes stirred in Vietnamese Ph.
- To make a marinade: Dilute with soy sauce, and add lime juice, oil, ginger, and scallions for a fresh and flavorful marinade!
If you are looking to use this sauce right away, check out these Sesame Crusted Hoisin Tofu Bowls!
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Can You Make Your Own
Yes, hoisin sauce is relatively quick to make. However, many of the traditional Chinese ingredients are hard to come by outside of specialized stores, so there is a need to adapt.
Trying it for yourself is a way to cut down the sugar content and make it that bit healthier, as well as losing the preservatives commonly found in grocery store alternatives.
To make traditional hoisin sauce requires black bean paste and Chinese five spice. Good supermarkets should stock Chinese five spice, and even if you dont plan on making hoisin its a flavorful store cupboard ingredient to have on hand.
Black bean paste is where it gets tricky. Not yet hugely popular outside of Asia, the best place to find it is in specialty stores or online.
If you cant find any, there are alternatives. The most common choice is smooth, unsweetened, peanut butter. Although it might seem an odd match, the thick consistency is key.
Once you have these two, the peanut butter and five spice are combined with basic store cupboard ingredients: brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, and hot sauce. If youre a fan of Asian cookery, you should find hoisin easy to make.
If you have no hoisin and want the most accurate experience possible, homemade is the way to go about it.
Homemade may lack some of the depth of the proper stuff, depending on what ingredients you have on hand, but is the best match. There are, however, other alternatives.
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Can I Substitute Worcestershire Sauce For Hoisin
Hoisin sauce and Worcestershire sauce dont make good substitutes for each other, although they can both work in a pinch. The similarity in these sauces is the combination of umami and sweet flavorings.
However, Worcestershire sauce is much thinner than hoisin, and has a fruitier flavor. Hoisin is thick, with a vinegar tang.
These substitutions work best when hoisin is only used for a small part of a sauce or marinade. If you wanted to use hoisin as a dipping sauce, Worcestershire sauce wont have the right consistency.
If youre looking to replace Worcestershire sauce, a better option is oyster sauce.
There is still a difference in flavor and texture, but oyster sauce is closer to Worcestershire sauce due to the similar seafood bases.
Soy sauce also works well, and combining hoisin with soy sauce will be a better substitute for Worcestershire sauce.
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Easy Hoisin Dipping Sauce
A super easy, hoisin dipping sauce that only uses 3 ingredients and takes less than 5 minutes to make! A great dipping sauce for Vietnamese rice paper rolls and more!
Hoisin is very flavorful on its own, so it doesn’t take much tweaking to make it a delicious dipping sauce, which is why I only use 2 ingredients .
I still wanted to retain the wonderful flavor from the hoisin sauce, so I didn’t want to overdo it by adding too many ingredients to this dipping sauce. Fewer ingredients also meant I could get it out faster as well.
This is actually one of my most-used recipes at home. It’s weird, right? An easy dipping sauce recipe of all things?
I eat a lot of Vietnamese rice paper rolls, I mean a lot. It’s my ‘clean the fridge’ meal that requires no cooking, so I can have a meal out on the table in less than 10 minutes, and this hoisin dipping sauce is what makes summer rolls delicious.
That being said, this versatile hoisin dipping sauce is definitely not limited to just fresh rice paper spring rolls. Don’t believe me? Then check out what I use it on from the list below!
What Can You Make With Hoisin Sauce
Easy homemade hoisin sauce has multiple uses beyond the traditional stir fry and noodles with sesame seeds. It makes a tasty marinade and finishing sauce for tofu or a dipping sauce for crispy baked tofu.
Try adding it as a glaze for your favorite veggie burgers or lentil loaf. To use hoisin sauce as a base for a thinner sauce for veggies and stir-fries, add ½ a cup of hoisin with 1 cup of vegetable broth mixed with a tablespoon of cornstarch. Use this in place of sweet and sour sauce for a change. You can experiment with the amounts as you like.
Our favorite? Mouthwatering lettuce wraps. Oh, the yum of it! Dont miss these, you wont regret it.
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Can I Use Plum Sauce Instead Of Hoisin Sauce
While they have a similar flavour, hoisin sauce and plum sauce are not the same thing. Hoisin sauce is usually hotter and has stronger flavours, whereas plum sauce is more like a jam produced from plums. The good news is that their flavours are similar enough that they may be replaced for one another in a pinch.
Ingredients:
Sugar, water, salt, honey, soy sauce , malt syrup , modified corn starch, dried garlic, spices, acetic acid, red 40
What Is The Difference Between Teriyaki Sauce And Hoisin One
Teriyaki sauce is a Japanese sauce that is used with meat, fish, shellfish or even tofu. Unlike hoisin, teriyaki sauce contains the key ingredients of Japanese cuisine such as soy sauce, sake and mirin.
Because of their dark brown color, teriyaki sauce and hoisin sauce could be easily confused. However, the hoisin may have a slightly more reddish hue, depending on the recipe used. They are used in the same type of preparation, whether it is to glaze meats, use as a dip or sauté vegetables.
However, teriyaki sauce is much more liquid than hoisin sauce. It also does not contain fermented soybeans. This is a sauce that can easily be made at home. Some commercial preparations of teriyaki sauce are thicker due to the presence of cornstarch.
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