What Is Hoisin Sauce And How Do You Cook With It?

by Jillian Giandurco

It’s time to take your meals to the next level with hoisin sauce. Hoisin sauce is a must-have for foodies everywhere, due to the fact that it has many different uses and purposes. To learn more about this Chinese condiment, keep reading on.

What is Hoisin Sauce?

Hoisin Sauce is a sauce primarily made from fermented soybean paste, as well as fennel, red chili pepper, and garlic. Though we don’t know much about the sauce’s origins, we do know that it is a Cantonese cuisine. Hoisin gets its name from the Chinese words for “seafood” and “sauce,” and historians have theorized that earlier versions may have contained seafood as a result. In Cantonese cuisine, hoisin sauce is typically used as a meat glaze, a stir fry topping, and a dipping sauce.

Hoisin sauce is a dark, thick condiment with a sweet and salty flavor palate. The American equivalent to hoisin sauce would probably be barbecue sauce, however it doesn’t exactly make for the perfect hoisin sauce substitute. Hoisin sauce is definitely the saltier sauce of the two, and features its own unique umami flavor provided by the fermented soybeans.

How Do You Cook With Hoisin Sauce?

Hoisin sauce can be used in a number of different dishes in a number of different ways. As a dipping sauce, it pairs well with Chinese egg rolls, Vietnamese spring rolls, Peking duck, and Chinese barbecue pork. As a condiment, hoisin sauce is a great condiment to add to any stir-fry or noodle dish, and can also be added to pho and beef noodle soup. Or, if you’re interested in trying it as a glaze, you can use it on salmon, chicken, pork, duck, and ham.

Other surprisingly tasty hoisin sauce pairings include lettuce wraps, broccoli, corn, and even pizza!

Whether you choose to use hoisin sauce for the first time in your noodle dish, as a meat glaze, or as a dipping sauce, you might want to dilute the flavor with a splash of water before adding it in. The flavor can definitely be overpowering if you’re not used to it, so make sure to stick to a small portion until you’ve built up a tolerance.

Hoisin Sauces on Bokksu Market

Everyone should be able to enjoy hoisin sauce, which is why Bokksu Market carries a regular hoisin sauce formula and a vegetarian formula!

The traditional formula, called Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce, contains that classic sweet yet salty flavor that makes hoisin so popular. This formulation is made from specially selected ground soybeans, sweet potatoes, and spices, and comes packed in a squeezable bottle for controlled application.

Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce

As for the vegetarian option, the Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Hoisin Sauce is made with the same carefully selected soybeans and spices as the regular formula for a stunningly similar taste. And the best part is, it’s not just vegetarian – it’s vegan, too!

Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Hoisin Sauce

With so many distinct uses, hoisin sauce is the ideal condiment to spice up (or should I say, salt up) just about any dinner dish.

Take a trip to your favorite Asian grocery store without ever leaving your couch! Bokksu Market carries all your favorite Chinese grocery brands, asian snacks, condiments, and beverages, which means you can finally order all of your groceries online from one place.

By Jillian Giandurco


Author Bio

Jillian Giandurco works primarily as a Trending News Writer for Elite Daily, where she writes about all things Food, Travel, and Tech related. Brands she has covered in the past include Kit Kat, Hershey’s, Expedia, and many more.