Hoisin Sauce: What's a Good Brand? What to Look For?

[Shel_B]

I don't recall ever using prepared Hoisin sauce, and now I want to try making a Hoisin vinaigrette. What should I know about this sauce, what should I look for? Would Lee Kum Kee be considered a good choice for a commercial sauce? I notice that there are a couple of versions of Lee Kum Kee Hoisin sauce.

I checked out some recipes for making my own sauce, but they differed substantially in the ingredient list. Does anyone have a recipe, or suggestions for ingredients, should I decide to make my own?

Thanks!

[mgaretz]

I buy Lee Kum Kee in the big bottle. I like it. I wasn't aware there were different versions.

[Shel_B]

One is supposed to be for Pho, the other more "general purpose." At least that's my understanding. Don't yet know just what the differences are.

http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/.a/6a00d8341ef22f53ef01311008bb67970c-popup

[liuzhou]

I checked out some recipes for making my own sauce, but they differed substantially in the ingredient list.

That is just the nature of many Chinese sauces. There are no definitive recipes.

Lee Kum Kee is a reasonable middle of the road version (and the one you are most likely to find in supermarkets in China). Without knowing what other brands are available to you, I can't say more.

Edited October 19, 2012 by liuzhou (log)

[Broken English]

The Hoisin Momofuku's using for the mythical buns is Lee Kum Kee, so that seems like a good bet.

[Shel_B]

I checked out some recipes for making my own sauce, but they differed substantially in the ingredient list.

That is just the nature of many Chinese sauces. There are no definitive recipes.

Perhaps I'll go down to the nearby, big Asian market, and look at the variety they have there, maybe buy a couple and compare them. Just because some restaurant I've never eaten at uses a particular brand doesn't mean I'd like it, or that it would be best suited for my needs. Thanks!

[liuzhou]

I use this one made in Guangzhou.

[dcarch]

_{Why is it called "Hoisin" sauce?}

_dcarch

[liuzhou]

Why is it called "Hoisin" sauce?

Hoisin is the Cantonese pronunciation of 海鲜 (hǎi xiān in Mandarin). It literally means 'sea taste', although it contains no seafood.

It is the same with the many fish-flavour (鱼香 yú xiāng) dishes in China. None of them contain fish either, but are made with ingredients which traditionally accompany fish.

Edited October 20, 2012 by liuzhou (log)

[prasantrin]

Just an fyi, in my experience, the LKK in the bottle can be used as is, but some of the jarred ones (I thought I saw a post of one with a blue and yellow label--that's the one we use--but I must have imagined it) taste better when cooked with a little oil. Don't know about the one liuzhou posted, but that's just been my experience.

[rotuts]

although sold pretty much everywhere, ive never liked LKK much. I like Koon Chung, it seems to have more flavor.

[blue_dolphin]

Bruce Cost's Asian Ingredients is some years old now but that book, he highly recommends Ma Ling and recommends Koon Chun and Wei-Chuan.