The sauces used in Asian cooking can be intimidating and confusing when standing in the grocery store. Here is a simple guide to help with what flavors are found in each sauce and what dishes these sauces work best in.
Soy Sauce: This is a brown sauce with a salty taste. It is available in lite as well as original. It is an all-purpose sauce that blends well with cabbage and fish.
Fish Sauce: This sauce can be intimidating thinking that it will give a strong fish flavor to dishes. The brown sauce is stronger in scent than in flavor. It is commonly used in Southeastern Asian and Thailand dishes.
Oyster Sauce: This oyster flavored sauce is strong in flavor and lends itself well to noodles as well as meat, seafood and vegetables. Start with a small amount as the flavor can be overpowering.
Chili Sauce: This sauce can be spicy or mild. It is often used as a condiment somewhat like ketchup or salsa. It can be added at the end of a stir fry to give the stir fry an extra bit of spice.
Sesame Oil: This is a very mild flavored oil that is used in cool dishes to enhance the background flavor. When heated the oil looses most of its flavor.
Rice Wine: This is a strong vinegar type wine that can be used in dressings or in hot dishes. It blends well with sesame oil and oyster sauce for a simple sauce.
Star Anise: This spice is a combination spice as common as cinnamon. It is best used with beef or poultry.
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com