Today we’re spotlighting an underappreciated Asian condiment: Hoisin Sauce. I can only speak for myself, but this ancient, sweet version of classic soy sauce has everything I want in an Asian con-diment, cooking sauce or dip. Where’s it been hiding?
Soy Sauce is considered the number-one Asian condiment and sauce ingredient across broad swathes of the Far East. But I often hear, from folks I talk to, that it’s more than a bit too earthy and rough-edged for the Western palate. And way too salty…
That’s why pure, unblended soy sauce is almost never used by Westerners. In spite of the fact that it’s provided on the same basis as salt and pepper, right on the dining table, at virtually every Asian restaurant. And when it is used – shaken on from that little, patented ‘Lee Kum Key’ two-spouted dispenser – it often squirts out more of that ultra-concentrated ‘too-mami’ flavour than you really wanted.
But Hoisin has a fundamental advantage over plain Soy Sauce: It has a sweet side, to balance and ‘cut’ the harsh, woody, almost ‘burned’ edge many Asian diners seem to love.
A little history…
Conventional wisdom has it that Hoisin is one of the original foundation stones of old-world Can-tonese cuisine. It’s secret ingredient – the one that differentiates it from basic Soy Sauce, and the feature I like best – is none other than traditional 5-Spice blend.
It is commonly employed straight-up as a glaze for meats, the bold, up-front ingredient in flavour base for a stir-fry or the principle flavour in a dipping or drizzling sauce.
In addition, Hoisin’s sweet side makes it ideal as the base for a classic Asian barbecue sauce. Which is one reason it’s almost as beloved in Korea as it is in China.
Dishes you may have tried…
Hoisin is the lead flavour in many classic Asian dishes you may have tried without knowing Hoisin was ‘in there’. The most famous of those is probably Peking Duck. Though the cost of the dish is considered prohibitive by many would-be diners. And the fuss involved in making it the ancient, ‘proper’ way entails starting the marination process and picky prep the day before.
A more common dish that showcases Hoisin is probably Moo Shu Pork (see image, top of page). It’s also a central, and in-dispensible, component of marinades for various char siu (Cantonese barbe-cue) dishes. Followed by Vietnam’s unofficial national dish, Pho and the classic dip for that country’s signature Spring Rolls. Across the culinary spectrum, Hoisin is considered a default companion for Rice Noodles and Rice, itself.
The name game
It’s a kind of odd love triangle – the relationship of Hoisin to seafood sauces. That’s because – as any Chinese-speaker will confirm – ‘Hoisin’ is a vintage word for ‘seafood’. Why a fermented soy product was saddled with that association in the first place probably has more to do with how it was used than what’s in it.
But it may also have to do with the cultural and regional connection for which Hoisin has long been recognised, with other thick, sometimes sweetish, umami sauces such as Oyster and Abalone.
Contemporary Hoisin has no seafood component. But it does go well with certain seafood dishes.
All of which is not to say…
… You can’t use Hoisin in a multitude of crossover applications and newstalgic updates of vintage Western dishes. Which is what Trader Joe’s discovered when it ran a promotional contest asking readers to share recipes they had created using Joe’s own version of Hoisin…
The winners included:
🥇GRAND PRIZE: Hoisin Caramel Apple Sundae w/ Black Pepper & Pistachios, by @theafternoonspoon (See photo, above left.)
🥈1st RUNNER-UP: Porky Hoisin Deviled Eggs, by @lifewithlisajean
🥉2nd RUNNER-UP: Cilantro-Hoisin Glazed Salmon & Noodles, by @meednic
🏅HONORABLE MENTION: Orange Hoisin Kickin’ Chicken Drummies, by @emlythgoe
I really like the concept of pairing Hoisin with Orange flavour. And using it in a dessert – especially one that also features black pepper as an unexpected, but welcome accent.
My take
I could go on for another hour about Hoisin Sauce and it’s non-Asian applications. Heck, we’ve only just hinted at them in the results of the Trader Joe’s recipe contest!
I’d go as far as to suggest that desserts using Hoisin deserve to be accorded their own, separate post. As could Western Hoisin barbecue inspirations.
If you’re suffering Hoisin TMI overload after taking in this lengthy post… My sincere apologies. But don’t let that discourage you from trying this so-often-neglected, underappreciated Asian condiment ‘star’…
~ Maggie J.