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Got Duck Sauce?

Jambalyle

By Jambalyle
in China: Cooking & Baking

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Jambalyle

Jambalyle

Posted
Posted (edited)

There is a raging debate here at work about duck sauce...

1) East coast version made with apricots?

vs.

2) West coast version made with plums?

vs.

3) Chinese person saying: what the heck are you talking about?

Should there be a debate? Recipes?

Edited by Jambalyle (log)

Sitting on the fence between gourmet and gourmand, I am probably leaning to the right...

Lyle P.

Redwood City, CA

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Laksa

Laksa

Posted
Posted

What the heck are you talking about? :raz:

I'm pretty sure duck sauce is an American Chinese invention, or at least the name "duck sauce". If I were to guess, I would say plum, because the Chinese do make a plum sauce.

I prefer duck with hoisin sauce.

There is a raging debate here at work about duck sauce...

1) East coast version made with apricots?

vs.

2) West coast version made with plums?

vs.

3) Chinese person saying: what the heck are you talking about?

Should there be a debate?  Recipes?

Dinner and a Show!
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hzrt8w

hzrt8w

Posted
Posted (edited)

Cantonese... plum for the roast ducks

Northern China (e.g. Beijing)... hoisin/sweet brown bean sauce for Peking ducks

Apricots? Err... French?

I really don't think a Chinese restaurant in New York (East Coast) would serve Peking ducks with plum sauce, while one in California (West Coast) would serve Cantonese roast ducks with hoisin sauce.

Edited by hzrt8w (log)
W.K. Leung ("Ah Leung") aka "hzrt8w"
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sheetz

sheetz

Posted
Posted

I'm not sure what's being debated here. Taste preferences? Authenticity?

In general, the Chinese food on the West Coast is less Americanized than the stuff in the East, and that rule applies here, too. Plum sauce is what Cantonese people typically use on their roast ducks, apricot sauce is "Ameri-Chinese." Which one tastes better if up to you.

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Dejah

Dejah

Posted
Posted
I'm not sure what's being debated here.  Taste preferences? Authenticity?

In general, the Chinese food on the West Coast is less Americanized than the stuff in the East, and that rule applies here, too.  Plum sauce is what Cantonese people typically use on their roast ducks, apricot sauce is "Ameri-Chinese." Which one tastes better if up to you.

Jambalyle

3) Chinese person saying: what the heck are you talking about?

I always thought plum sauce or apricot sauce was for egg rolls, and hoisin was for duck.

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

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hzrt8w

hzrt8w

Posted
Posted
I always thought plum sauce or apricot sauce was for egg rolls, and hoisin was for duck.

Dejah: You need to plan a trip to visit Hong Kong to reclaimate some of the Cantonese food culture. :smile::smile:

Plum sauce for Cantonese roast ducks.

Egg rolls - worchestershire sauce.

Hoisin /(sweet sauce) - for cheung fun.

W.K. Leung ("Ah Leung") aka "hzrt8w"
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Dejah

Dejah

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Actually, Chinese people eat spring rolls.  The fried things filled with cabbage called egg rolls are Ameri-Chinese, too.

So, what is in the spring rolls that CHINESE people eat? :blink::unsure:

hzrt, I honestly cannot imagine cheung fan with hoisin sauce. I like the sweet soya and chili oil on mine, but I will try next time....with hoisin.

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

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hzrt8w

hzrt8w

Posted
Posted

I think this link (Plum Sauce from LKK) may be your "duck" sauce.

If you want to make it from apricot, I have a suggestion:

Get a jar of apricot jam. Make your own "duck" sauce:

- oil, saute some minced garlic, add chopped fresh chili pepper

- add white vinegar, apricot jam, water, sugar. Bring to a boil.

- If the sauce it too thin, thicken it with some cornstarch slurry (keep heating), cook it to the right consistency.

W.K. Leung ("Ah Leung") aka "hzrt8w"
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SuzySushi

SuzySushi

Posted
Posted

This is the original apricot-based duck sauce popular in the Northeast:

Saucy Susan Duck Sauce

(And no, I'm not the Susan in the picture and had nothing to do with it!)

It contains apricots, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, peaches, vinegar, water, corn starch, salt, modified corn starch, sodium benzoate, spices, and natural flavors. It's been around since I was a child.

SuzySushi

"She sells shiso by the seashore."

My eGullet Foodblog: A Tropical Christmas in the Suburbs

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origamicrane

origamicrane

Posted
Posted

UK chinese perspective

plum sauce - served with pei-pa duck basically roast duck with the really crispy skin. The sauce is golden brown slightly translucent with bits in.

hoisin sauce - served with crispy aromatic duck or chu cheung fan, browny purple thick opaque sauce.

duck sauce - brown and shiny sweet made from yellow beans

apricot sauce? :huh:

"so tell me how do you bone a chicken?"

"tastes so good makes you want to slap your mamma!!"

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