Key Ingredient
Wednesday, January 2, 2002
Seasonings made from fermented soybeans are among the oldest forms of food flavoring. The ancient Chinese turned soybeans into a thin, salty sauce as early as 200 B.C., according to Jacki Passmore, author of "The Encyclopedia of Asian Foods and Cooking." Soybean-based sauces, such as hoisin, enhance and intensify the taste of many Chinese dishes, as well as foods from other Asian cuisines. Hoisin sauce
By Barbara Burke
Special to the Star-Bulletin
The basics: Hoisin sauce is a sweet, reddish-brown sauce widely used in Chinese cooking, both as a seasoning and a condiment. Its primary ingredients are fermented soybeans, sugar, garlic, chili peppers and spices, such as Chinese five-spice or star anise.
Selecting: You'll find a fair amount of variety among commercial brands of hoisin sauce, so try several and decide which you like best. Some brands are so thick that you have to spoon them out of the jar, while others have a thinner texture, like ketchup. A redder variety is sometimes called "barbecue sauce," but should not be confused with "Chinese barbecue sauce," which contains dried fish. A spicier version of hoisin is called "chee hou" sauce.
Storing: Hoisin sauce is sold in jars and cans. Store it in a tightly sealed, nonreactive container (glass jars are fine). Refrigerate after opening. Stored properly, this condiment should keep indefinitely.
Use: Hoisin sauce is a versatile ingredient with a sweet, pungent Chinese flavor. It is probably best known as an accompaniment to Peking duck and mu shu pork. Hoisin sauce is also served as a condiment for roast pork and poultry. It adds body and flavor to marinades and glazes that can be used with grilled meats. Dilute hoisin with a little hot water and mix with a dash of sesame oil and sugar for a nice dipping sauce.
Where to buy: Hoisin sauce is widely available at supermarkets and at specialty grocery stores. Cost is $2 to $3 for an 8- to 10-ounce jar.
Barbara Burke is a Hawaii-Pacific University instructor who teaches and writes about food and nutrition. She is substituting for Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga, who is on maternity leave. Contact Burke at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or e-mail: features@starbulletin.com Food Stuffs: Morsels
Contact Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga
online through features@starbulletin.com
