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Oyster sauce. Original dishes on your table. Oyster sauce What does oyster sauce go with?

This is one of the seasonings that can become an indispensable assistant in your kitchen if you appreciate it.

Oyster sauce is a seasoning, not a spice - it allows products prepared with it to fully reveal their taste.

It can be used in almost all methods of cooking food, which makes it very versatile.

In the 19th century, in the culinary arts of Britain and France, “oyster” meant béchamel sauce flavored with oysters.

In what form is it sold?

The seasoning is sold in glass or plastic bottles. There are other types of packaging. The consistency is thick, it has a spicy and slightly salty taste of oysters, but there are no fishy notes in the aroma of a quality product. It is unlikely that anything can replace oyster sauce if you are a real gourmet. There are many recipes online that tell you how to make oyster sauce at home, however, none of them will help you create a classic sauce with a real spicy bouquet of flavors and aromas, a rich array of nutrients.

How to make oyster sauce

Oyster sauce is made from real oysters. Water, sugar and starch are added to them (their meat). Boil all this in large containers until the water evaporates and the contents thicken. According to the classic original recipe, monosodium glutamate is necessarily added to the sauce.

It is important to know: in high-quality oyster sauce the content of oyster extract is at least 20%

How to use

Oyster sauce is one of the most popular in East Asian countries (China, Japan, Korea); it is also used in Southeast Asia. It is used in Vietnamese, Thai, Khmer and many other East Asian cuisines and, above all, in Chinese, where no family can do without it. What can you substitute for oyster sauce? It is hardly possible to find a replacement for a classic product.

The original invention of Chinese cuisine is popular all over the world today. Oyster sauce is a condiment that works primarily as a flavor enhancer. It is added when frying in a wok pan. It is ideal for Chinese cooked vegetables, Japanese noodles, dim sum, soups. It is used in the preparation of some stir-fries.

In Thai cuisine, this product, as in China, is very popular. Thai oyster sauce is used for cooking, including vegetable dishes. It is served with meat, chicken, and fish dishes. One cannot do without it on the table when enjoying seafood, which in this country ranks first in popularity and availability. Seafood becomes tastier if this special seasoning is served with it.

It is important to understand that using oyster sauce makes sense when the recipe does not call for a lot of other spices, otherwise its flavor will be lost among them.

Appearing in China more than a century ago, oyster sauce has found wide application. The seasoning actually turned out to be an integral part of folk cooking. It is served with salads and side dishes, but, as a rule, it is supposed to be cooked. To ensure that it does not lose its valuable properties and numerous nutrients, it is added at the very end of the cooking process. Prepared with oyster sauce in China:

dim sum with bamboo shoots and mushrooms (oyster mushrooms, shiitake) with bamboo shoots;
classic fried rice, pork rice noodles, chicken fried rice, spicy shrimp and saffron rice, shrimp fried rice, tom yum rice with shrimp, shiitake fried rice;
Pad Khing Kai Ginger Chicken, Hainanese Chicken, Oyster Chicken, Thai Butter Chicken, Nam Prik Phao Chicken;
Szechuan pork ribs, pork baozi, Chinese dumplings, Chinese wok beef, Cantonese wontons with shrimp and pork;
rice noodle soup, Chinese shrimp noodles, Thai wok noodles, mi goreng (aka Japanese yakisoba, Chinese chow mein);
any vegetables in Chinese and omelette in Vietnamese.

What does oyster sauce go with?

seafood
bird
vegetables
salads (with seafood)
cereals (side dishes)

The product goes well with any vegetables. Traditional oyster sauce has the widest use. At home, they even eat it simply with boiled rice. This spicy dressing makes it juicy and flavorful.

What cannot be combined with

Where should you add oyster sauce and where not? This seasoning is intended for any dishes with a salty taste. Accordingly, desserts, sweet pastries, and fruits will not go well with it.

Composition of oyster sauce

The seasoning contains oyster extract, water, soy, sugar, monosodium glutamate, salt, tapioca starch, and wheat flour.

The nutritional value of the product is:

fats - 4.46 g, proteins - 2.26 g, carbohydrates - 31.29 g, sugar - 29.46 g, fiber - 0.74 g, sodium - 2117 mg.

Useful properties of the sauce

Thanks to the raw materials, oyster sauce contains in large quantities:

proteins, amino acids
carbohydrates,
calcium, potassium,
zinc, phosphorus
sodium
iron, copper.

Such a complete complex has a beneficial effect on the body. The general condition improves significantly.

After eating the sauce, a person feels a real surge of strength. This is due to the intake of glucose into the body. The seasoning increases efficiency, which is undoubtedly appreciated by the hard-working Chinese, Thais and other residents of Southeast Asia.

Harm

Due to the presence of large amounts of glucose, it is not recommended to consume oyster sauce if you are diagnosed with diabetes or obesity. In case of inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, exacerbations of diseases of the digestive tract, the consumption of seasoning should be limited.

It is not recommended if you have allergic reactions to seafood. Pay attention to the calorie content of oyster sauce: 100 g. contains 120 kcal. If you need to adhere to a diet, you should limit your consumption of this seasoning.

There are many legends associated with the advent of oyster sauce. According to one of them, several centuries ago a poor Chinese fisherman decided to make himself a soup from oysters freshly caught from the sea. Tired of the process of extracting them, he fell asleep. Waking up from sleep, the fisherman saw a thick dark mass. He didn't throw it away, but tried it. And so a new product appeared, becoming famous throughout the world.
Another legend says: the best oyster sauce is aged. Despite its centuries-old history, it was only in the 19th century, again by pure chance, that completely new taste qualities were discovered in the sauce. It was accidentally forgotten in a bowl on the window of a diner built on the very shore of the South China Sea. The dressing did not spoil, as the owner thought, but acquired amazing gastronomic qualities. From that moment on, they began to produce an improved, aged oyster sauce and serve it with a wide variety of dishes.

Where to buy oyster sauce

You can purchase this sauce and many other products for Asian cuisine from the project partners - the Shanghai Cauldron company.

Dishes using oyster sauce

Appearing more than 100 years ago in China, oyster sauce greatly influenced Chinese cooking, becoming a necessary and most popular seasoning in daily life. This sauce is now very popular in different countries of the world.

Choy Sun Oyster SAUCE does not contain monosodium, so it is considered a pure and natural product. Used for frying, marinating and preparing mixtures for dishes. It is also served as a seasoning for prepared dishes.

Oyster sauce is a widely used seasoning. Oyster sauce has an excellent taste with a pronounced oyster aroma and moderate thickness. It contains many amino acids necessary for the human body. Any dish with a salty taste can be prepared with oyster sauce.

Possible uses:

1. Vegetable sauce

Add oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil to cooked vegetables (chinese cabbage, broccoli, etc.) to add an original taste.

2. Marinade for tofu (tybu)

Spread a sauce of oyster sauce, sugar, chopped garlic and chili pepper, and sesame oil over the steamed tofu.

3. Glossy sauce for roast. Just add it in the last few minutes of the stir-fry for a subtle flavor boost.

Fried shiitake mushrooms, zucchini, yellow and/or red bell peppers, etc. season with sauce from 1 tsp. sugar, 2 tbsp. l. oyster sauce, water. Fry until the vegetables are evenly coated in a glossy sauce.

4. Restaurant-style brown sauce.

Heat vegetable oil, add chopped garlic and fry it for 1 minute. Stir n e oyster sauce Choy Sun (CHOY SUN OYSTER SAUCE) with chicken broth, sugar, add to the fried garlic and bring to a boil. Add starch, diluted in cold water (1:2), stirring into the sauce. Add ground black pepper to taste and chopped green onions. The sauce is ready. Serve with crab and lobster.

5. Add flavor to fried rice.

Fry a couple of eggs while stirring. In another pan, fry the ground beef with peas and diced carrots. Add 1 tsp sugar, 4 tbsp. oyster sauce, boiled rice and fried eggs. Stir and cook for a few more minutes.

6. Along with beef and broccoli.

Add 2 tbsp to sautéed beef and broccoli. dry sherry, 1 tsp. sugar, 2 tbsp. Choy Sun Oyster SAUCE and black pepper to taste. Overcook, slowly add starch diluted in water (1 tablespoon), stir continuously until the sauce thickens.

7. Chinese style BBQ sauce.

Marinade: 2 tbsp. oyster sauce Choy Sun (CHOY SUN OYSTER SAUCE), 1 tsp. sesame oil, 2 tsp. brown sugar, orange or pineapple juice, black pepper, 2 tsp. ketchup, 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard.

Coat the meat steaks with marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Fry the steaks for 5 minutes on each side, coating with the remaining marinade.

Ingredients:
250 g egg noodles
450 g chicken legs
2 tbsp peanut butter
100 g carrots, chopped
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 eggs
3 tbsp cold water

Instructions: 1. Place noodles in a large bowl, cover completely with boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, remove the skin from the chicken legs. Cut the meat into small pieces using a sharp knife.

3. Heat peanut oil in a wok, add chicken and carrot pieces, fry for 5 minutes.

4. Drain the noodles, add the noodles to the wok, fry for another 2-3 minutes.

5. Whisk oyster sauce, eggs and 3 tablespoons water. Sprinkle the sauce over the noodles and fry for another 2-3 minutes until the eggs are cooked.

Divide among plates and serve hot

Ingredients:
1 kg beef
tomatoes
bell pepper
5cm fresh ginger
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
peppercorns
olive oil
half a lemon
soy sauce

Preparation:
Of course, ginger in combination with fresh lemon juice gives the meat a special taste.

Finely chop the beef, peel the ginger, grate it, squeeze out the juice and marinate the meat in it for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grind the peppercorns and place in hot olive oil, remove the pan from the heat, pour in the oyster sauce, stir, add the meat and fry over high heat. Immediately add the pepper, cut into strips, and continue to fry until tender.

In 0.5 sec. until ready, add the tomatoes, cut into large cubes (if cherry ones are whole) and immediately turn off the heat, cover with a lid and let simmer for 1-2 minutes. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a separate cup and add 2 tsp. soy sauce. Pour this juice over the meat when serving and add salt to taste.

Compound:

1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
450 g pak choy cabbage, cut into 4 pieces lengthwise
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp oyster sauce
4 tbsp water
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Crunchy and sweet, Chinese greens pair well with oyster sauce.

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil and fry the garlic for 1 minute until pale golden brown. Add pak choi, oyster sauce and water. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until cabbage is tender and coated with sauce.

2. Taste the sauce before serving; you may need to simmer for a few more minutes to reduce it slightly. Place the pak choi on a plate, pour the sauce on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Ingredients:

Pork small medallions 350g,

tomatoes 2 pcs,

½ onion,

2 eggs,

salt ¼ tbsp,

boiled rice 450g.

Marinade:

sesame oil 1 tbsp,

corn starch 1 tbsp,

Choy Sun oyster sauce 1 ½ tbsp.

Sauce:

sugar 2 tbsp,

Starch ½ tbsp,

ketchup 6 tablespoons,

water 5 tablespoons.

Preparation: Lightly beat the medallions and marinate. Finely chop the onion and tomatoes, beat the eggs. Fry the eggs in 2 tablespoons of oil, add rice, salt, fry and set aside. Fry the medallions in 2 tablespoons of oil until tender, set aside. Fry the onion in 1 tablespoon of oil, add the tomatoes and sauce, stirring, and bring to a boil. Pour sauce over pork and rice and serve hot.

Ingredients:

500 g beef fillet or rump steaks

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. Sahara

2 tbsp. l. thick soy sauce

1 tsp. corn starch

1-2 tbsp. l. water

2 tsp. sesame oil

2 medium sized carrots

3 cloves garlic

2 cm ginger root

4 stalks green onions

5-6 tbsp. l. peanut or corn oil for frying

1 tbsp. l. rice wine or dry sherry

1 tsp. corn starch

6 tbsp. l. broth

3 tbsp. l. oyster sauce

Cooking method: Cut the meat into thin slices across the grain. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, pour the resulting mixture over the meat, mix again and leave to soak. Cut the carrots into strips, finely chop the garlic, ginger and the white part of the onion, cut the green part of the onion into rings. 5 tbsp. l. Heat the oil in a wok or deep frying pan, simmer the garlic, ginger and white onion, add the meat and, stirring, fry vigorously for 2 minutes. Add rice wine and continue stirring. Remove the meat. 1 tbsp. l. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan, stirring, fry the carrots, cover and simmer for 1 minute. Mix cornstarch with broth and oyster sauce and add carrots. Mix well with meat, cook briefly, stirring. Sprinkle with onion greens. Serve on a warm platter.

Compound:

egg noodles - 250g
chicken legs - 450g
peanut butter - 2 tbsp.
carrots (chopped) - 100g
oyster sauce - 3 tbsp.
egg - 2 pcs.
water (cold) - 3 tbsp.

Preparation : Place the noodles in a large bowl, cover completely with boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the skin from the chicken legs. Cut the meat into small pieces using a sharp knife. Heat peanut oil in a wok, add chicken and carrot pieces, fry for 5 minutes.

Drain the noodles, add the noodles to the wok, fry for another 2-3 minutes.

Whisk oyster sauce, eggs and 3 tablespoons water. Sprinkle the sauce over the noodles and fry for another 2-3 minutes until the eggs are cooked.

Divide among plates and serve hot.

Compound:

Round rice - 200 g

Chicken breast - 2 pieces

Vegetable oil - to taste

Salt - to taste

Ground white pepper - to taste

Garlic - 2 cloves

Grated ginger - 1 teaspoon

Zucchini - 1 piece

Fresh champignons – 15 pieces

Sweet rice wine - 2 tablespoons

Water – 150 ml

Sugar - 1 teaspoon

Oyster sauce - 2 tablespoons

Corn flour - 1/2 teaspoon

Egg - 1 piece

Sesame oil - 2 teaspoons.

Preparation:

1.Cook rice in a saucepan of boiling water until soft. Drain.

2.Heat the grill pan. Lightly brush chicken breasts with oil and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through. Cool for 5 minutes and cut into strips on the diagonal.

3. Heat a wok over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until smoking and add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add minced garlic and ginger and fry for 10 seconds, then add sliced zucchini and mushrooms. Fry for 1 minute. Pour in wine and water and bring to a boil. Add 0.5 teaspoons of salt, sugar and oyster sauce.

4.Mix corn flour and some cold water to form a paste. Take 2 spoons of sauce from the wok and stir into the pasta. Return the mixture to the wok and add the egg. Cook for some time and add sesame oil.

5. Divide the rice between 2 plates, place the chicken on top and pour the sauce over it.

Compound:

broccoli - 450 g

vegetable oil - 3-4 tbsp. l

salt - 1/2 tsp

sugar - 1/2 tsp

broth or water - 2-3 tbsp. l

oyster sauce - 2 tbsp

Preparation: Divide the broccoli into pieces. Remove the rough skin from the stalks of the stalks and cut the stalks into slices. Heat the oil in a wok, add salt and broccoli and fry, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add sugar, broth or water to the wok and continue to fry, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in the oyster sauce, mix well and serve

Compound:

Baby squid 1.5 kg
Garlic 2 large cloves
Soy sauce 2 tbsp.
Oyster sauce 2 tbsp.
Ginger 1 cm
Rice wine 50 ml.
Sesame oil 1 tsp.
Sesame seeds 1 tbsp.
Honey 3 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Onion 2 sh
Green onion several feathers

Preparation: Thaw the squid carcasses and dry them with a paper towel. Using a sharp knife, make diamond-shaped cuts on the squid carcass. Chop the garlic. Cut the onion into half rings.
Heat about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan, add sesame oil, finely chopped garlic, fry for a few seconds. Place the onion, cut into half rings, into a frying pan and fry over high heat; when the onion is fried until golden brown, add grated ginger, add soy sauce, oyster sauce and honey, stir and fry for a couple of minutes, pour in rice wine and let it evaporate slightly, put the carcasses into the frying pan. squid, add sesame seeds and mix well. Fry for 1-2 minutes and remove from heat.
Serve with steamed rice and sprinkle green onions on top.

Ingredients:

300 gr. cabbage

200 gr. pork tenderloin

3 large cloves of garlic

2 pcs. chili pepper

2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil

3 tbsp. l. oyster sauce

Preparation:

Chop the garlic and chili pepper.

Wash the cabbage thoroughly and cut into strips.

Cut the pork into small thin pieces.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Put garlic and chili pepper there. After a couple of minutes, add the pork.

When the pork begins to cook, add the cabbage and oyster sauce. Stir and fry everything until the cabbage is ready.

Compound:

Pork carbonate 500 gr
Zucchini 1 pc.
Onions 4 pcs.
Carrot 1 piece
Soy sauce 2 tbsp.
Oyster sauce 3 tbsp.
Honey 60 gr
Vegetable oil for frying 2-3 tbsp.
Sesame oil 2 tsp.
Sesame 1 tbsp.
Ginger paste 2 tsp. (or 3 cm grated fresh ginger)
Salt to taste
Garlic 4 cloves
Coarsely ground black pepper, a quarter tsp.
Red paprika 2 tbsp.
Eggs 2 pcs
Garlic 1 clove
Rice 1.5 cups
Butter 1 tsp.
White rice wine 1 tbsp.
Sugar 2 tsp.
Soy sauce 2 tsp.

Preparation:

Boil rice in salted water.
Cut the pork chop into strips.
Cut the onion into half rings.
Chop the carrots into strips.
Using a paring knife, cut one zucchini into strips.
Chop the garlic.
Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan, add chopped pork and fry over high heat, add salt. When the meat is half cooked, add a clove of garlic, onion, part of the ginger paste, soy sauce, black pepper, 1 tbsp. paprika and fry until the meat is done.
Next add the zucchini, carrots, 2 cloves of garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, honey, and oyster sauce and the remaining spoon of paprika. Fry for another 5 minutes.

In another frying pan, melt the butter, beat the eggs with 2 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. white wine, 2 tsp. sugar, pour into a frying pan and fry until the omelette is ready. When the omelette is ready, place it on a board and cut into small squares or strips.

Pour 1 tbsp into the pan. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. honey, 1 chopped garlic clove, 1 tsp. sesame oil, stir quickly, add rice and chopped omelette, stir everything quickly several times and remove from heat.
Place the rice and egg on the dish first, and then the meat on top. And serve it right away.

Oyster sauce is a phrase familiar to anyone who loves Asian cuisine. It is in such dishes that this spicy dressing is often found. Do you want to learn more about it and learn how to cook yourself? Then our review was created especially for you!

What it is

The product is a thick, dark-colored liquid—a mixture of oysters and several other ingredients. In the photo you can see the thick, “caramel” texture of the dressing.

It is used in the cooking of Asian countries - dishes with oyster sauce are popular in China, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

Got a quick tour? Now it’s time to talk about what oyster sauce is eaten with, and where to add aromatic dressing.

Where to add

First, let's note how to use oyster sauce - there are certain rules for consuming the product:

At the end of cooking, in a small amount - just a tablespoon per pan/pan;
Reduce the amount of salt when preparing such dishes;
Cook at a low temperature - too high a temperature will “kill” all the flavor characteristics.

We figured out how to use oyster sauce with meat or other ingredients. Now let's talk about what oyster sauce is eaten with. The list is quite wide:

Thai oyster sauce good for chicken or noodles and teriyaki;
Creamy oyster sauce goes well with vegetables and potatoes;
Pepper-oyster sauce Suitable for rice, sushi and sashimi, rolls.

What else can this unique oyster component be combined with?

Beef and pork dishes;
Stews;
As a base for other sauces and marinades;
Boiled fish;
Grilled dishes;
Mushroom snacks;
Salads from vegetables and meat ingredients.

Surely you will be interested to know what the gas station consists of? Then read on!

Compound

It is very important to study the composition of oyster sauce - to get a general idea of the product and select the right ingredients for making it yourself. First, let's talk about the components that make up the composition - so, let's figure out what oyster sauce is made from:

Oysters;
Water;
Salt;
Sugar;
Corn starch;
Wheat flour;
Caramel color;
Monosodium glutamate.

There is also a vegetarian version for those who do not consume animal products:

Mushrooms;
Soy sauce;
Glucose syrup;
Water, salt and sugar, starch.

Now it’s time to discuss the chemical composition of oyster dressing - it includes a large number of useful elements:

Iodine and potassium;
Phosphorus and zinc;
Calcium and selenium;
Magnesium and copper;
Iron and fluorine;
B vitamins;
Vitamin PP, A and C;
Glucose;
Folic and ascorbic acids.

The calorie content is quite low due to the low fat content, but it contains a lot of proteins and carbohydrates (high sugar and salt content).

Let's now talk about what the dressing tastes like and what you can substitute for oyster sauce.

Features of taste, what to replace

First, let's discuss what oyster sauce tastes like - it is important to study the taste characteristics of the product before using it.

It has a delicate, sweet-salty flavor;
The taste of salt is not pronounced;
The smell is not similar to the aromas of fish products;
Tastes somewhat like umami.

Now you know what an oyster product looks like – it’s time to figure out if there are any available analogues.

Worcestershire sauce with added soy;
Fish sauce.

We studied how to replace oyster sauce - there is always a choice! If you don’t want to look for analogues or go to the store for the coveted bottle, try making it yourself - read below how to make oyster sauce at home.

Self-cooking

Not everyone can buy Chinese oyster sauce or other varieties of the product, but you can try to expand your culinary boundaries and make your own dressing.

The recipe for making it at home is quite simple - and the result will surprise you with its incredible taste and aroma! Let's figure out how to make the perfect dressing at home:

Have you learned a simple oyster sauce recipe? It's time to move on - before use, it is important to study the storage features of the product.

A self-prepared product can be stored in the refrigerator for a month;
Factory dressing is stored according to the rules indicated on the packaging;
On average, an industrially produced product lasts for about 3-6 months in a cold place without loss of quality and taste; the packaging must be airtight.

Please note that if you notice a change in color and loss of odor, it means it’s time to throw away the product.

You know how to make and where to add oyster sauce. The next important part of the article is the beneficial properties and possible contraindications of the product.

Benefits and harms

The benefits and harms of an oyster product come from its composition, which we discussed in detail above. Let's start by talking about the beneficial qualities of the dressing - with regular moderate consumption, you can extract the following positive properties:

Removal of harmful cholesterol;
Increased immunity;
Normalization of metabolism;
Improved appetite;
Relieving stress and helping to get rid of depression;
Normalization of the digestive system;
Stimulation of brain function;
Improving the functioning of the liver and blood vessels;
Gives a boost of vivacity and energy.

However, there are some contraindications for use - you should carefully study them before purchasing or preparing the dressing:

Diabetes;
Obesity;
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
Allergy to seafood.

We encourage you to observe moderation in the consumption of any product - this also applies to spicy dressing. If you have any questions, you should contact a specialist!

How to choose where to buy?

You can buy oyster products in any large store - you will find it on the shelves with spices and other sauces, as well as in the Asian cuisine departments.

When choosing, pay attention to the composition - it is better to look for labels that indicate the least amount of artificial components. It is also important to look at these words:

Oyster Sause - indicates the naturalness of the composition;
Oyster Flavored – labeling of products flavored as oysters.

Now you know what oyster sauce is used for, what features it has and to whom it is contraindicated - finally, read the reviews of those who were able to prepare the dressing themselves!

Chinese cuisine is distinguished by its originality in the use of various sauces. A variety of sauces are used to prepare dishes, which add a certain piquancy to the dishes. One of these sauces is oyster sauce, which is prepared (as the name suggests) from oysters.

The sauce is used in a wide range of Chinese recipes. In addition, dark and thick oyster sauce is often used in Vietnamese, Cambodian and Thai cuisines. Traditionally, oyster sauce is made from hot oyster broth.

The broth is boiled until it becomes viscous and has a rich brown color. Manufacturers of semi-finished oyster sauce use food coloring, extracts and preservatives from oysters, as well as starch in its production. Today, in specialized departments of supermarkets you can buy ready-made vegetarian oyster sauce made from oyster mushrooms.

Naturally, such canned substitutes do not always have a good effect on the taste of prepared dishes, and often spoil their taste. Therefore, it is best to prepare oyster sauce yourself before directly preparing your favorite Chinese dish. If you don’t have oysters on hand, you can use so-called “substitutes”.

In Chinese cuisine, oyster sauce is used to prepare vegetable and meat dishes to highlight the taste of a particular ingredient. There is no point in preparing a dish without oyster sauce; it is better to come up with an alternative than to ignore this sauce in the recipe.

Soy sauce as a substitute for oyster sauce

Often, oyster sauce in Chinese dishes is replaced with traditional soy sauce, which provides the dish with a piquant aroma and color. It is recommended to add half a teaspoon of granulated sugar or a few drops of Worcestershire sauce to the soy sauce. Some recipes recommend replacing oyster sauce with fish sauce in combination with soy sauce (1:1). Use the fish sauce that best matches the aroma and taste of the dish you are preparing.

Vegetarian substitute

This substitute is most often used for preparing vegetarian dishes. You need to dissolve one mushroom stock cube in half a glass of hot water. Add two tablespoons of brown sauce and one tablespoon of sugar to this mixture.

Brown sauce is prepared from 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (preferably soybean), 2 tablespoons of flour, 0.5 liters of vegetable broth, 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon of sour cream, salt and pepper to taste. All of the above ingredients are mixed and boiled over low heat for a certain time until the broth thickens. At the end, cornstarch mixed with cold water is added (one teaspoon of starch dissolved in one teaspoon of water). Vegetarian oyster sauce substitute is ready to use.

Finally, we should remind you how to prepare “real” oyster sauce at home. Add a little water to the required number of oysters (just enough to cover the bottom). Cook in a saucepan over low heat for about 10 minutes. Then remove from heat, add salt and let cool.

Drain the liquid, strain, add two tablespoons of light soy sauce (for every half glass of oyster broth). The next step is to add half a tablespoon of dark soy sauce. Now the whole mixture needs to be simmered over low heat for about 10 minutes. Your homemade oyster sauce is ready and can serve as an excellent ingredient for any delicious Chinese dish!

A seasoning with a piquant, slightly salty taste called “oyster sauce” was invented not by the French, who were obsessed with these exquisite seafood, but by the Chinese, who were accustomed to benefiting from everything. Including oysters.

Oyster VS Fishy

Strange as it may sound to professionals in Pan-Asian cuisine, many novice cooks confuse this sauce with fish sauce, explaining: they say, oysters are expensive, they are probably often replaced with fish, and so they get fish sauce. Like crab sticks, which don’t even smell like real crab. If you know the difference between these sauces, then you don’t need to read the next couple of paragraphs. Well, for those who have just begun to get acquainted with Thai, Chinese and other exotic cuisines, we tell you: in fact, everything is not quite like that. More precisely, not at all like that! Fish sauce and oyster sauce are two fundamentally different sauces in taste, purpose and production technology. Like ketchup and olive oil, for example. In principle, you can pour both on food. But it is difficult to confuse them.

So, let's figure out what the difference is between oyster and fish sauces. Fish sauce is essentially salt. It is used in Southeast Asian cuisine (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore...) when they want to add salt to a dish. Oyster sauce does not have any salty taste, so it is useless to salt foods with it. However, why not use regular salt or soy sauce instead of fish sauce, you ask. But because, in addition to saltiness, fish sauce also has some slight sweetness, almost imperceptible sourness, a delicious aroma of anchovies and the ability to enhance the taste of foods naturally (due to the presence of glutamic acid in large quantities - read more about this). Thus, fish sauce is much better than salt and soy sauce, which do not have such beneficial benefits.

But it's all about taste. The production technology of fish sauce and oyster sauce is as different as the earth and the sky. To produce fish sauce, small anchovy fish are collected in barrels, covered with sea salt, filled with sea water and left to ferment to an almost liquid state (if this process seems low-tech to anyone, remember that soy sauce and cheese are produced in exactly the same way, only instead of anchovies they use soybeans and milk). The quality of fish sauce, like whiskey, is determined by the aging time and the amount of anchovy extract in it. A good fish sauce is one that has been aged (fermented) for at least a year and contains at least 60% anchovy extract. Everything else is more of a fish-flavored sauce.

Oyster sauce is made from real oysters, removing the fleshy center from them and preparing an extract from it, which is then mixed with water, sugar, and a thickener (starch). All these ingredients are simmered together in a giant saucepan until the water evaporates and the sauce thickens. The recipe also calls for adding monosodium glutamate to the oyster sauce - what can you do, the sauce was invented by the Chinese, and they love this ingredient very much. This method of preparing oyster sauce, by the way, is the most traditional - that’s how it was invented. According to legend, the chef of one Chinese eatery, Li Kam Sheng, was preparing his favorite, so to speak, signature oyster soup and got distracted. When I remembered the pot on the stove, the soup had already turned into a thick brew and turned black. Li Kam Sheng was struck by the amazing aroma of the dish, and it tasted excellent. A Chinese chef began selling this sauce, and the product turned out to be in great demand. Thus, in 1888, Lee Kak Sheng organized the Lee Kum Kee company, which began to produce and sell this sauce, which it has been doing successfully to this day.

How can you check the quality of oyster sauce today, when few people have the opportunity to cook oysters themselves? It's simple - just like with fish sauce, you just need to read the label. If the sauce contains at least 20-25% oyster extract, the sauce is already good. Anything less and it will be “oyster-flavored sauce.” An honest manufacturer of such a sauce should then write on the label “ Oyster Flavored " If it is written “ Oyster Sauce "and the composition contains more than 20% oyster extract - feel free to take the product.

Benefits of oyster sauce

Because oyster sauce is not only tasty. It not only enhances the natural taste of any dish and makes it richer, brighter, and more voluminous. It's also useful. Together with oyster sauce, you will acquire proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, calcium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, sodium, iron, copper, as well as vitamins B, PP and C. Oyster sauce is also tasty and a useful way to recharge your batteries, restore strength after a hard day, or, as they say, wake up. Efficiency is restored by the glucose contained in the sauce. True, largely because of it, the sauce is contraindicated for patients with diabetes and anyone on a diet. The sauce should also be used with caution by people with gastrointestinal diseases and allergies to seafood. If there are no acute contraindications, then welcome to the world where any dish can be made attractive on the outside and tasty on the inside.

How to use oyster sauce

What to use oyster sauce with? Logically, a sauce made from seafood extracts should be ideal for them. In fact, this is why Asians love it and share their love with the whole world, because it is almost universal. Pork, beef, chicken, shrimp - the sauce goes well with all these foods. You can also pour it over vegetables or rice. Any stir-fries will turn from a quick snack into a festive dinner after you add oyster sauce to them.

Important note: experts recommend subjecting the sauce to heat treatment, so it better reveals its taste. However, in order to preserve the beneficial substances, it is advisable to add the sauce at the very end of cooking. That is, the ideal consistency of oyster sauce in a dish is something like the gravy that we were introduced to in kindergarten. Meat “bathing” in the oyster mass is usually very soft, and the dish is fragrant and healthy. Another option for using the sauce is to dip sushi or teriyaki dishes into it.