Oyster Sauce Suggestions Please

[Shel_B]

I recently purchased a bottle of Lee Kum Kee premium oyster sauce, which has been my go-to choice for quite some time. However, I hadn't purchased it for a couple-three years.  When I used it last night I was somewhat disappointed - it didn't taste the way I remembered it.  Could be the sauce has changed, or, more likely, my palate has changed.  In any case, I'd like to experiment with some different options.

 

What suggestions do the oyster sauce sophisticates have to offer?  Maybe something not as salty, or less filled with additives and coloring?  I've heard that some Thai oyster sauces are an improvement over LKK.  Any suggestions in that regard?

[liuzhou]

 

What suggestions do the oyster sauce sophisticates have to offer?  Maybe something not as salty, or less filled with additives and coloring?  I've heard that some Thai oyster sauces are an improvement over LKK.  

 

LKK is the McDonald's of Chinese sauces. Their products are nearly all mass produced in huge factories on the Chinese mainland and sold world wide.

 

I recommend this one.

 

http://www.honestfoods.com/oyster.html 

[SusieQ]

Thank you!

[rotuts]

I also do not like LKK

 

where I go there are various 'oyster sauce's'

 

look carefully at the first ingredient 

 

it should read  'oyster extract'   not soy bean, sugar etc

 

that's the best I can do.  might need to take a microscope a small magnifying glass to read some of the fine print, though.

[Shel_B]

look carefully at the first ingredient 

 

it should read  'oyster extract'   not soy bean, sugar etc

 

that's the best I can do.  might need to take a microscope a small magnifying glass to read some of the fine print, though.

 

Carrying a small magnifier seems like a good idea.  Lately, it seems that I've been reading, or trying to read, lots of fine print.  I can read the ingredient list on the LKK easily ...

[djyee100]

Try Dragonfly brand oyster sauce. Made in Thailand, no MSG, very good flavor. The last time I bought a bottle, it was at Berkeley Bowl. It can be purchased online as well.

[Hassouni]

I'm fond of this one: http://importfood.com/sama3001.html

 

30% oyster extract, according to their website 

Edited August 17, 2014 by Hassouni (log)

[rotuts]

Ive also had that brand, indeed Im looking at a bottle now.  

 

Ill have to get another for the 'bull pen'

 

an odd note here:

 

the actually label itself says 'oyster extract, ..., ... '

 

but there is a superimposed label in black and white over that that says ' soya bean paste, sugar, ....'

 

cant say why.

 

but its very good.

[loki]

The founder of Lee Kum Kee invented oyster sauce - at least that's the line they give. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_sauce

[takadi]

 

LKK is the McDonald's of Chinese sauces. Their products are nearly all mass produced in huge factories on the Chinese mainland and sold world wide.

 

I recommend this one.

 

http://www.honestfoods.com/oyster.html

 

 

Oyster extract is listed as the very last ingredient in their ingredient list. Sounds to me that this brand is more befitting of the McDonald's comparison

Edited August 18, 2014 by takadi (log)

[takadi]

Amoy has/had an oyster sauce with dried scallops in it that was just divine, It had a very intense "bivalve" flavor that was just amazing. Unfortunately I haven't seen it sold in my local asian groceries in a very long time. I tried looking it up online and it is nowhere to be found... I suspect Amoy has discontinued it. Oh well

Edited August 18, 2014 by takadi (log)

[huiray]

 

Oyster extract is listed as the very last ingredient in their ingredient list. Sounds to me that this brand is more befitting of the McDonald's comparison

 

 

Really?

 

Here's the relevant label on the bottle of LKK oyster sauce I'm currently using.

 

[takadi]

I was referring to the product from the honestfoods site

[huiray]

I was referring to the product from the honestfoods site

 

Ah, OK.  I misunderstood you then.  Yes, that one from Honest Foods does indeed have oyster extract as the last item in the list of ingredients.

[liuzhou]

 

Oyster extract is listed as the very last ingredient in their ingredient list. Sounds to me that this brand is more befitting of the McDonald's comparison

 

 

Perhaps they are being more honest than most. Many brands list oyster extract first but then concede that it is in fact oyster with water and salt. Listing the actual percentage of oyster is extremely rare. 

 

All I can say is that I tried it (in London) and found it to be very pleasant.

 

Here in China I use a brand which lists water as its first ingredient. Given that LKK lists water twice, salt twice, and sugar twice, probably not that unusual.

 

I wil confess, however, that I am no connoisseur oyster sauce - I seldom use the stuff.

 

an odd note here:

 

the actually label itself says 'oyster extract, ..., ... '

 

but there is a superimposed label in black and white over that that says ' soya bean paste, sugar, ....'

 

cant say why.

 

 

 

That is very common here. Different labelling laws in different countries mean that imported goods are often relabelled.

Edited August 18, 2014 by liuzhou (log)

[odalisay]

I'm fond of this one: http://importfood.com/sama3001.html

30% oyster extract, according to their website

I have been using this of late. Found it at a local Filipino store and decided to try it. I usually use LKK but am starting to like the Thai Oyster sauce.

[mullergogo]

I remember last year when I went to China, my friends introduced me JIA JIA,  in China the brand seems good

[nickrey]

David Thompson (Nahm) recommends Megachef brand, which is the one that I use. I notice that it can be purchased in the USA now from Amazon. Link here. As an aside, Andrea Nguyen gave their fish sauce a very good review.

[huiray]

I tried the Thai-produced Maekrua oyster sauce side-by-side with the USA-produced Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce.  I still prefer the LKK sauce, by far.  The Maekrua sauce seemed more salty and sweet than oysterish.  Definitely sweeter.  JMTC.

[takadi]

I tried the Thai-produced Maekrua oyster sauce side-by-side with the USA-produced Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce.  I still prefer the LKK sauce, by far.  The Maekrua sauce seemed more salty and sweet than oysterish.  Definitely sweeter.  JMTC.

 

I bought Maekrua a few weeks ago based on this thread and I have to agree with you, it is pretty awful. A very bad syrupy consistency with a sickly sweet taste. There was also a taste of oxidized soy sauce. Explains why it was dirt cheap

[sub]

David Thompson (Nahm) recommends Megachef brand, which is the one that I use. I notice that it can be purchased in the USA now from Amazon. Link here. As an aside, Andrea Nguyen gave their fish sauce a very good review.

 

the ingredients:

 

[annachan]

Just picked up some Megachef oyster sauce and fish sauce at the store. Haven't opened the bottles but hope they're good. The oyster sauce was quite cheap ($3.99 for 600ml, ~20oz). The LKK premium was over $7 for a smaller bottle. Can't believe how much Amazon is charging for Megachef.

[Shel_B]

I found this old thread this evening while doing some more searching for oyster sauce as I was cleaning out the fridge and realized that the sauce within needed replacement.  Since I started this thread 10 years ago, I felt I should bookend it.

 

Megachef is pretty darned good, and has become one of my go-to sauces.

 

Koon Chun, which I found at the local Ranch 99 Asian market, is also quite good, and I will be looking for another bottle of that briny elixir on this coming week's trip to the market. It's definitely better, to my taste, than LKK.

 

I'll take a look at Dragonfly when next I visit Berkeley Bowl, but my inclination is to avoid it as just this evening I watched a test and review of oyster sauces on Pailin's Hot Thai Kitchen and she was very disappointed with the product.  Maekrua didn't fare well, either.  Over the past ear or so, I've found that I tend to agree with her taste assessments more than not.

 

 

 

Edited May 20 by Shel_B
Correct an error (log)

[liuzhou]

I have nothing to add to what I said years ago. Although LKK are said to have invented the stuff, others have certainly improved it. The brands I could recommend are probably not availabe in the USA.

 

I don't have any oyster sauce at the moment; like most people in China, I seldom use it, but I do have this which is a fine alternative. Again it may not be available where you are.  

 

 

No connection to HP Sauce.