Everyone knows about soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and fish sauce, but oyster sauce is slightly more mysterious.


What is oyster sauce?


Oyster sauce is a rich, syruplike sauce that is used in Chinese cuisine. It is made from oyster extract, but despite the name, it doesn’t taste like fish at all. Instead, oyster sauce has an earthy, slightly sweet, and salty taste. It is a mixture of boiled down oyster juices (which have caramelized), along with salt and sugar; some versions include soy sauce thickened with cornstarch.

It is believed to have been invented totally by accident. In 1888 Chinese food stall operator Lee Kum Sheung left a pot of oyster soup on to simmer for so long that it cooked down into a thick brown paste. Not wanting to waste a full pot of food, and realized his caramelized concoction was rich, super savory, and perfectly delicious.


How to use


Oyster sauce is dark brown, almost black in color, and has a thick consistency. It is used in both meat and vegetable dishes, mainly in Cantonese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisines. It’s best used to highlight other flavors.

Oyster sauce is used straight from the bottle. It is added to other sauces, used as a sauce on its own, or drizzled on top of steamed vegetables (often Chinese broccoli in Cantonese cuisine) as a finishing touch. A little goes a long way, so start off with a teaspoon or two and go from there. The most popular way to incorporate oyster sauce into a recipe is in a stir-fry sauce and in braises or stews


Vegetarian oyster sauce


If you’re vegetarian or allergic to shellfish, a vegetarian version that uses mushrooms instead of oysters is available. It has the same color and a similar texture to the real deal. The mushrooms give it a meaty, umami flavor.



How to store


After you open it, keep it in the fridge. It should keep for up to a year.