Oyster sauce is one of the great secret weapons of Asian cooking — thick, glossy, deeply savoury, and responsible for that rich, satisfying quality in stir fries and marinades that is almost impossible to achieve any other way. But how much do you actually know about it?
1. Oyster sauce was created by chance in Canton. The owner of a small eatery forgot to take his oyster broth off the fire somewhere at the end of the 19th century and discovered the oyster sauce.
2. In Europe, recipes from that time were found in which oyster sauce was used, but that was not an oyster sauce, but rather a Béchamel sauce flavoured with oysters.
3. Oyster sauce used to be made by simmering oysters in water until the juices in the oysters thickened and a dark sauce remained. Nowadays an extract is made by boiling oysters. Sugar, water and soy sauce are added.
4. Oyster sauce is already nice and thick and syrupy by itself. So it sticks well to vegetables and meat. That means you don't have to add anything else to your dish to bind your sauce.
5. In the south of China they not only love oyster sauce but they also sell a dried version of the oysters that remain after making the sauce.
6. Oysters contain nutrients that have a beneficial effect on your mood, your immune system and they give you energy.
7. Oyster sauce doesn't have a real fish taste, as many people think. It gives dishes a refined sweet boost.
8. The sauce also brings out the savory flavor umami. Umami, after the Japanese word for delicious or savoury, forms the five basic flavours together with sweet, salty, sour and bitter.
9. You can use oyster sauce to wok, marinate or fry. And you can also dip cooked or raw vegetables in a bowl of oyster sauce.
10. The fact that Asians cannot do without oyster sauce became clear when a Chinese producer decided to make special tubs of oyster sauce for Chinese astronauts.
No oysters? No problem.
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STIR-FRY VEGETABLES WITH TOFU AND OYSTER SAUCE
Cooks in 30 minutesA vibrant medley of crisp seasonal vegetables and golden tofu, quickly stir-fried to preserve freshness and crunch. The dish is brought together with a savory oyster sauce, adding depth and a touch of sweetness that perfectly balances the lightness of the tofu and the natural flavors of the vegetables. Simple, wholesome, and full of authentic Thai wok-cooked character.
