Sauces and condiments

fish sauce

What is fish sauce?

Thai fish sauce is one of the basic ingredients not only of Thai cuisine, but also of much Asian cuisine. It has a rich translucent reddish-brown color and is added generously to almost all Thai dishes. It is often used as a marinade for fish and meat, as well as […]

fish sauce

What is Shaoxing wine ?

Shaoxing wine is perhaps the most mentioned ingredient on my site that you’ve never heard of (and you let me know in the comments!). If you’ve ever wondered why your homemade Chinese food doesn’t taste like what you’d get in a restaurant, Shaoxing wine is probably the key element you’ve […]

fish sauce

What is oyster sauce ?

Oyster sauce is a rich, syrupy sauce used in Chinese cuisine. It’s made from oyster extract, but despite its name, doesn’t taste at all like seafood. Instead, oyster sauce has an earthy, slightly sweet and salty taste. It’s a mixture of boiled oyster juice (which has caramelized), salt and sugar, […]

fish sauce

Light soy sauce and dark soy sauce: what are they?

Soy sauce is a condiment composed mainly of four ingredients: soy, wheat, salt and water. There are many different types of soy sauce, but the two most common are light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. On the Japanese side, you’ll find what’s known as tamari sauce. If you’re following […]