Hoisin Sauce

Hoisin sauce is a red-brown, sweet and spicy sauce made from fermented soya beans, garlic, chillies, vinegar, sugar and spices. It may vary in consistency from thick and creamy to a sauce that is thin enough to pour, and can also have varying intensities of sweetness and heat.

Although Hoisin sauce has a rather overpowering flavour, it is quite delicious when mixed with sugar and sesame oil to serve with Peking duck, where it is spread over the pancakes before the cucumber, spring onions and shredded duck are placed on top. It may also be used as a dipping sauce for prawn crackers or spring rolls.

Used on its own, Hoisin sauce may be added into stir-fried vegetables, chicken or pork or brushed onto meats before they are barbequed or grilled. However, as this tangy sauce contains a relatively high level of sugar compared to many other sauces, care must be taken to ensure that it does not burn during the cooking process.

Hoisin sauce may be kept in a cool, dark place for up to a year. However, once opened, it should be stored in the fridge and consumed by the use by date.