What is Oyster Sauce, Where to Buy It, Recipes to Make with It (2024)

FAQs

What dishes do you use oyster sauce in? ›

Gently salty and briny, with a velvety smooth, thick texture, oyster sauce is in a number of Asian dishes. The condiment brings rich, savory flavor to whatever you pour it over or into – from Chinese broccoli to stir-fry marinades – and it's a mainstay in many Asian and Asian American kitchens.

Condiments containing egg or milk such as mayonnaise and creamy salad dressing, or those with other fast-spoiling ingredients such as oyster sauce should be kept refrigerated. Being among one of must-haves in Thai kitchen, a used bottle of oyster sauce stored in Thailand's room temperature may be prone to get moldy.

A salty sauce created from oysters and used often in Asian cuisine, oyster sauce contains little calories, no fat, and a healthy dose of calcium for bone strength. The sodium content comes from its soy sauce component, something individuals on a low-sodium diet should take note of.

Oyster sauce: 18 to 24 months; 3 to 6 months. Peanut butter: 1 year when stored in refrigerator and 3 to 4 months refrigerated after opening (natural); 6 to 9 months when stored in pantry or 12 months stored in refrigerator, 2 to 3 months in pantry or 3 to 4 months refrigerated after opening (commercial, stabilised).

Sweet soy sauce or teriyaki sauce are the best options. Stir Fries - When it comes to adding umami depth and spice to stir fried dishes like ramen and rice noodles, we recommend soy sauce or black bean paste as the perfect oyster sauce alternatives.

Along with a jolt of flavor, oyster sauce adds a dark caramel color to any dish, which, according to assistant food editor Jessie YuChen, is referred to as “the sauce color” in Mandarin. It's a shade you'll notice in many Chinese dishes like stir-fried broccoli, Cantonese beef chow fun, and lo mein.

Oyster sauce is a thick glossy brown sauce with a syrupy consistency and is most often used in Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese dishes. Rich and deeply savoury, it adds so much umami to meat and vegetable dishes… although I'm a big fan of adding it to fusion pasta recipes, too!

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.

If you keep your ketchup out all day at a barbecue, do you need to throw it away? Sargent clarifies that “for ketchup that is kept at room temperature, it should be consumed within 30 days.” Even without preservatives, most all-natural ketchups can handle some time stored at room temperature, Wagner says.

Does peanut butter need to be refrigerated? ›

According to The National Peanut Board, an unopened jar of peanut butter can last six to nine months at room temperature. Once opened, they say that it can last two to three months in the pantry before you should move it to the fridge, where it can maintain quality for another three to four months.

Unless you're a busy diner going through and refilling ketchup bottles every day or two, you should store your ketchup in the fridge. This is because, just like pickles, the flavor and texture declines after you open the bottle or jar and the ketchup is exposed to air.

The presence of magnesium and potassium also help to lower blood pressure and iron helps carry oxygen to blood cells. Oysters are also high in potassium, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids which help reduce the overall risk of stroke and heart attack. They are also effective at lowering blood pressure.

Oyster sauce with reduced sodium levels provides the same rich and savoury taste while helping to maintain healthy blood pressure. Consuming low-sodium oyster sauce can be part of a balanced diet, offering oyster sauce health benefits without excess sodium.

Oyster sauce, used to stir-fry veggies like kai lan and bok choy, is high in sodium. Use this sauce sparingly if you're watching your sodium intake or actively cutting back on the amount of sodium consumed at every meal - stir-fry your greens with spices like ginger, garlic, and peppercorns instead!

Because it combines sweet and savory flavors, hoisin sauce is different from the saltier oyster sauce. Hoisin sauce is sweeter than its counterpart, so oyster sauce would not give your cooking the same fragrant, sweet taste.

Flavor Profile: Oyster Sauce offers a sweet and salty flavor with an earthy undertone, while Fish Sauce is known for its prominent salty and nutty taste with a fishy aroma. The sweet flavor of Oyster Sauce is due to the caramelization process, contrasting with the salty flavor and fishy notes of Fish Sauce.

In the kitchen, oyster sauce is often a glaze or an addition to stir-fries, while fish sauce is more of a background player, enhancing soups and marinades with its briny depth. Understanding these sauces is crucial for anyone diving into Southeast Asian cuisine.

Be careful not to confuse oyster-flavored sauce with cooked oyster sauce, as the latter includes oyster-flavored sauce combined with ingredients like chicken broth, soy sauce, sake, and sugar.