The Eight Asian Sauces to Keep in Your Kitchen (Level 1)

In Asia, people use many kinds of sauces to make food taste better. These sauces add more flavor than just salt and pepper. Some sauces are sweet, some are salty, and some are spicy.

One special sauce is called XO Sauce. It comes from Hong Kong. People started using it in the 1970s and 1980s. The name “XO” means “extra old”. It sounds like a drink, but this sauce does not have alcohol. XO Sauce means the sauce is special and rich.

XO Sauce is made with dried seafood like scallops and shrimp. It also has garlic, red chilies, and ginger. Sometimes it includes ham. The taste is a little spicy, salty, and smoky.

People use XO Sauce with noodles, fish, or dim sum. You can also use it to cook meat and vegetables.

Soy Sauce

Soy sauce is one of the oldest sauces in Asia. People first made it in China more than 2,000 years ago. Today, it is very popular in many countries like China, Japan, Korea, and Indonesia.

There are two main kinds of soy sauce: light and dark.

Light soy sauce is salty and used in everyday cooking.

Dark soy sauce is thick and sweet. It is used for meat and rice dishes.

Japanese soy sauce is called shoyu. It has a soft, sweet taste. There is also tamari, a soy sauce without wheat. Tamari is good for people who cannot eat gluten.

Soy sauce is made from soybeans, wheat, salt, and water. It makes food taste rich and full. People use it in soups, noodles, rice, meat, and vegetables.

Sweet Chilli Sauce

Sweet chilli sauce is a red sauce that is sweet and a little spicy. It is very popular in Thailand and other Asian countries. Many people use it with fried food.

This sauce is made with:

Red chillies (for spice)

Sugar or honey (for sweetness)

Garlic and vinegar (for flavor)

Some people also add fish sauce or other spices. You can use sweet chilli sauce with:

Spring rolls

Chicken wings

Fried rice

Stir-fried vegetables

It gives food a sweet and spicy flavor. Children and adults both like this sauce because it is not too hot.

Oyster Sauce

Oyster sauce is a thick, brown sauce. It is made from oysters and has a strong, salty-sweet taste. It is very popular in Chinese cooking.

This sauce was made by accident in Hong Kong in 1888. A man was cooking oyster soup and forgot it on the stove. The soup became thick and tasty — this was the first oyster sauce.

What is in oyster sauce?

Oyster extract

Soy sauce

Sugar

Cornstarch (to make it thick)

How to use it:

In stir-fry dishes

On vegetables

With noodles

In meat dishes

Oyster sauce makes food taste rich and savory. You only need a little for big flavor.

Hoisin Sauce

Hoisin sauce is a dark, thick sauce from China. It tastes sweet, salty, and a little spicy. People sometimes call it “Chinese barbecue sauce.”

What is in hoisin sauce?

Soybeans

Garlic

Sugar

Vinegar

Spices

Sometimes chili or sesame

It is often used in Cantonese cooking. People use it:

On roasted meat (like duck or pork)

With noodles and rice

Inside wraps or pancakes

As a dipping sauce

One famous dish with hoisin sauce is Peking duck. The meat is wrapped in a thin pancake with hoisin sauce. Hoisin sauce gives food a strong and sweet flavor. It is also good as a marinade.

Fish Sauce

Fish sauce is a thin, salty liquid. It is made from small fish and salt. People in Southeast Asia — like Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines — use it every day.

How is fish sauce made?

Small fish (like anchovies)

Mixed with salt

Left in big barrels for many months

The liquid from the fish becomes fish sauce

Fish sauce smells strong, but it makes food taste very good. It adds a deep, salty flavor.

People use fish sauce in:

Soups

Stir-fried dishes

Rice and noodles

Dipping sauces

In Vietnam, it is called “nuoc mam”. In Thailand, it is “nam pla”.

Fish sauce is powerful — you only need a few drops to change the taste.

Sesame Oil

Sesame oil is a special oil made from sesame seeds. It is used in many Asian dishes. The oil has a strong smell and a nutty taste.

There are two kinds of sesame oil:

Light sesame oil: used for cooking

Dark sesame oil: used at the end of cooking for flavor

Dark sesame oil is made from toasted (cooked) sesame seeds. It has a deep color and strong taste.

People use sesame oil in:

Noodles

Soups

Stir-fried vegetables

Salad dressings

Dipping sauces

Just a small spoon of sesame oil can make food smell and taste very good. It is not used as much as regular oil — it is used for flavor, not frying.

Chili Oil

Chili oil is a spicy oil made with red chili peppers. It is popular in China, Korea, and other Asian countries. The oil is red or orange and very hot.

What is in chili oil?

Cooking oil (like vegetable oil)

Dried red chili flakes

Garlic

Sometimes sesame seeds or ginger

To make chili oil, people heat the oil and pour it over the chili flakes and spices. The oil becomes spicy and full of flavor.

People use chili oil with:

Noodles

Dumplings

Rice dishes

Soups

Vegetables

Chili oil is for people who like spicy food. You only need a small amount to make your food hot and tasty.

There are many sauces in Asia. These sauces help food taste better. Some are sweet. Some are salty. Some are spicy.

In this article, we learned about 8 sauces:
XO sauce, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, and chili oil.

People use these sauces with rice, noodles, soup, and meat. You can use a little sauce to make food more delicious. Now you know more about Asian sauces!

Source: bbc.com

Vocabulary for the Article

Sauce: A liquid added to food to give more taste.
Example: This sauce is sweet and spicy.

Sweet: Tasting like sugar.
Example: I like sweet chili sauce.

Spicy: Having a strong, hot taste.
Example: Some Asian sauces are very spicy.

Fish: An animal that lives in water and is used for food.
Example: Fish sauce is made from small fish.

Rice: A small white or brown grain we eat.
Example: We eat rice with soy sauce.

Soup: A hot, watery food with meat or vegetables.
Example: I eat soup with a spoon.

Soy sauce: A dark salty sauce from soybeans.
Example: Soy sauce is good with noodles.

Vegetable: A plant used for food.
Example: I cook vegetables with hoisin sauce.

Garlic: A small white plant with a strong taste.
Example: Garlic makes the sauce taste good.

Try: To taste or do something for the first time.
Example: I want to try the new sauce.

Taste: The feeling you get from food in your mouth.
Example: This sauce has a strong taste.

Dish: A type of food you cook and eat.
Example: This dish has rice and vegetables.

Hot: Having a high temperature or spicy taste.
Example: The soup is very hot.

Cold: Not hot, having a low temperature.
Example: I drink cold water with spicy food.

Meat: The food from animals.
Example: I eat meat with sauce.

Chili: A small red or green pepper that is hot.
Example: Chili sauce is very spicy.

Cook: To make food with heat.
Example: I cook vegetables with soy sauce.

Fry: To cook food in hot oil.
Example: I fry meat and add sauce.

Ferment: To change food with time and air.
Example: Some sauces are made with fermented beans.

Salt: A white powder used to add taste to food.
Example: Fish sauce has a lot of salt.

Sugar: A sweet white powder.
Example: Sweet chili sauce has sugar.

Oil: A liquid used in cooking.
Example: I cook food in oil.

Noodle: A long, thin piece of food.
Example: I eat noodles with sauce.

Flavor: The special taste of food.
Example: This sauce has a great flavor.

Dip: To put food into sauce.
Example: I dip my food in soy sauce.

Smell: The nose’s way to feel food or things.
Example: Fish sauce has a strong smell.

Color: What we see, like red, green, blue.
Example: Soy sauce is dark in color.

Popular: Liked by many people.
Example: Hoisin sauce is popular in Asia.

Different: Not the same.
Example: There are many different sauces.