OYSTER SAUCE

Mandarin: HAOYOU; Cantonese: HO YOW

Oyster sauce is a Cantonese specialty. This thick, brown, soy-based sauce is flavored with oyster juice, salt and caramel, and is thickened with corn flour. It is thicker than soy sauce and fish sauce, but lighter in color.

Aroma and flavor
Oyster sauce has a pleasant, fragrant aroma, and has a delicious and delicate flavor that, surprisingly, doesn't taste of fish at all.

Culinary uses
Oyster sauce is a highly versatile flavoring and can be used in a wide variety of dishes. It is especially good with fairly bland foods, such as chicken and bean curd, but also works very well with more strongly flavored ingredients such as beef and seafood. It can be used as a garnish and is often sprinkled over the top of cooked dishes such as rice and noodles.

Cooking techniques
The bottled sauce is only used as a cooking ingredient, and it is never served as a dip or sauce at the table. Oyster sauce is best added to dishes towards the end of the cooking time.

Storage
There are a number of different brands of this sauce, and the more expensive versions are usually far superior, and have a much richer flavor than cheaper versions. Once opened, the bottle should be stored in the fridge where the sauce will keep for a very long time, although it is best used before the expiry date.