List of Chinese sauces

This is a list of notable Chinese sauces, encompassing sauces that originated in China or are widely used as cooking ingredients or condiments in Chinese cuisines.

Chinese sauces

Soy sauce

Oyster sauce

Shacha sauce in a bowl with coriander to be used in a hot pot

These sauces are commonly used as ingredients for dishes in many Chinese cuisines. There may also be regional variations on the sauces, such as seasoned soy sauce or fermented bean curd.

Light soy sauce (生抽) – a lighter-colored salty-flavored sauce used for seasoning
Dark soy sauce (老抽) – a darker-colored sauce used for color
Seasoned soy sauce – usually light soy sauce seasoned with herbs, spices, sugar, or other sauces
Sweet bean sauce (甜面酱) – a thick savory paste
Oyster sauce (蚝油)
Fermented bean curd (腐乳) – usually cubes of tofu, and sometimes other spices and seasonings, which are used as a condiment or marinade along with some of the brine
Douchi (豆豉) – fermented black beans, usually in a brine
Cooking wine (料酒)
Sesame oil (香油)
Black vinegar (陈醋)
White vinegar (白醋)

Cantonese cuisine

Haixian sauce (海鲜酱, Cantonese: Hoisin)
XO sauce – a spicy seafood sauce that originated from Hong Kong.^[1] It is commonly used in Cantonese cuisine

Shao Kao sauce (烧烤酱, Cantonese: Siu Haau) – a thick, savory, slightly spicy BBQ sauce generally known as the primary barbecue sauce used within Chinese and Cantonese cuisine.
Shacha sauce (沙茶酱) – A sauce or paste that is used as a base for soups, hotpot, as a rub, stir fry seasoning and as a component for dipping sauces.
Cha Shao sauce (叉烧酱, Cantonese: Char Siu)
Plum sauce (苏梅酱)
Fish sauce (鱼露)

Doubanjiang, the mother sauce of Sichuan cuisine

Laoganma, a popular sauce in China. Oil, chili pepper, and fermented soybeans.

XO sauce

Hunan cuisine

Duo Jiao (剁椒) – chopped chilis pickled in a sour brine
Yongfeng chili sauce (永丰辣酱) - finely chopped chilis that are mixed with flour and bean powder and fermented

Guizhou cuisine

Ci Ba La (糍粑辣)
Zao La (糟辣)
Lao Guo La (烙锅辣, Lao Gan Ma is a brand of Guizhou Lao Guo La chili sauces.^[2]^[3])

Jiangsu cuisine

Rib sauce (排骨酱)

Northern Chinese cuisines

Sichuan cuisine

Doubanjiang (豆瓣酱) – a mix of fermented beans, chilis, salt, and flour used for flavor and color
Chili oil (红油) – usually made by pouring hot oil that's been seasoned with spices onto ground chili flakes and left to steep

Notable exceptions

While Doubanjiang can be considered the "mother sauce" of Sichuan cuisine, there are some prominent flavors in modern Sichuan cooking that are often referenced as sauces but are composed of other ingredients and sauces during cooking. These include:

Yuxiang (魚香)
Mala (麻辣)
Guaiwei (怪味)

Taiwanese cuisine

Soy sauce paste

References

^ Vos, Heidemarie (2010). Passion of a Foodie. p. 591. ISBN 978-1-934925-63-8.
^ Spice cream: Try a Lao Gan Ma chili sauce sundae｜Society｜News｜WantChinaTimes.com Archived 2014-08-09 at the Wayback Machine
^ The illiterate woman behind the Laoganma chili sauce excelene salsaempire｜Economy｜People｜WantChinaTimes.com Archived 2014-08-09 at the Wayback Machine

[1] Vos, Heidemarie (2010). Passion of a Foodie. p. 591. ISBN 978-1-934925-63-8.

[2] Spice cream: Try a Lao Gan Ma chili sauce sundae｜Society｜News｜WantChinaTimes.com Archived 2014-08-09 at the Wayback Machine

[WCT1-3] The illiterate woman behind the Laoganma chili sauce excelene salsaempire｜Economy｜People｜WantChinaTimes.com Archived 2014-08-09 at the Wayback Machine

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