Oyster sauce and hoisin sauce: the difference and how to use them

Oyster sauce is a thick, dark brown Cantonese sauce made from oyster extract, sugar and salt. It is salty and deeply savoury, not fishy. Hoisin is a different sauce from the same cuisine: sweet and thick, based on fermented soya bean paste, with no seafood in it. You use both in wok cooking, but one does not replace the other one for one.

In Polish, oyster sauce is "sos ostrygowy" and hoisin is "sos hoisin". Most bottles in Poland carry the English name as well, so "oyster sauce" on the label is enough to find it.

What is oyster sauce?

Oyster sauce starts as an extract of oysters simmered for a long time in water. The liquid is reduced, seasoned with sugar and salt and thickened with starch. The finished sauce is the colour of dark caramel, glossy and as thick as syrup.

It tastes salty, a little sweet and strongly savoury, with a lot of umami. Despite the name, it does not smell of oysters or fish. The amount of oyster extract differs between brands: the higher it stands in the ingredient list, the more of it the sauce contains.

How to use it:

• in stir-fried vegetables, such as broccoli, bok choy and mushrooms;
• in fried noodles and fried rice;
• in a marinade for beef and chicken;
• poured over steamed vegetables with a little sesame oil.

Add it near the end of cooking, one or two tablespoons per portion. The sauce is salty, so use less salt and soy sauce.

What is hoisin sauce?

Hoisin is a thick, dark sauce of fermented soya bean paste, sugar, garlic, vinegar and spices, often with chilli and five-spice. In Cantonese the name means "seafood", but the sauce contains no fish or shellfish.

It tastes sweet, salty and spiced, a little like barbecue sauce. Hoisin is the sauce for Peking duck, served in pancakes with cucumber and spring onion. It is also a glaze for char siu roast pork, ribs and chicken wings, and a dip for spring rolls.

Oyster sauce vs hoisin

If a recipe calls for oyster sauce and you only have hoisin, the dish will be much sweeter. A vegan oyster sauce, or soy sauce with a pinch of sugar, is a better substitute.

Vegan oyster sauce

Vegan oyster sauce (also sold as vegetarian oyster sauce or vegetarian stir-fry sauce) is usually made from mushrooms, most often shiitake, with soy sauce, sugar and starch. It has a similar colour, thickness and salty, savoury taste, and you use it the same way as the classic sauce. It suits vegan and vegetarian cooking and people who do not eat seafood. Check the label, because the ingredients differ between brands. In Polish shops look for "sos wegański" or "vegan" on the bottle.

Where to buy oyster sauce and hoisin in Poland

Little India sells Amoy oyster sauce in a large 2.3 kg pack for restaurants and in a smaller 555 g bottle. There is also Lee Kum Kee vegan oyster sauce and Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce. Little India has shops in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk and ships orders across Poland.

For hotter flavours in Asian cooking, see our comparison Sriracha vs Tabasco.