Hoisin is a thick, dark brown sauce from Cantonese cuisine. Sweet, salty and slightly spicy. Are you familiar with hoisin from Peking duck or pork belly? That's right! But this Asian condiment can be used in many more dishes (including vegan ones!). Read here how to use hoisin as a stir-fry sauce, marinade or dip.
Hoisin: everything you want to know about this sweet (wok) sauce
What is hoisin?
Hoisin (pronounced hoi-sien) comes from Cantonese cuisine, one of the most important regional cuisines in China. The sauce is made from fermented soybeans, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, sugar and spices such as star anise and cinnamon.
The name literally means “sea creature sauce” in Cantonese. But hoisin does not contain any sea creatures at all. Hoisin used to be served with fish, but nowadays it is mainly served with roast duck, chicken or pork belly. It is also increasingly used as a vegetable stir-fry sauce or dip.
What does hoisin taste like?
Hoisin is a thick, sweet sauce with a deep umami flavour. Think of a Chinese barbecue sauce, but without tomato and usually sweeter and fuller in flavour. The fermented soybeans give it that rich, savoury undertone.
How do you use hoisin sauce?
In Asia, hoisin sauce is used in all kinds of ways: as a stir-fry sauce, marinade, dip or glaze.
- In the wok. Stir-fry vegetables, tofu or noodles with hoisin stir-fry sauce for a quick meal.
- As a marinade. Mix hoisin with soy sauce and maple syrup and marinate your tofu or tempeh in it.
- As a dip: dilute with a little lime juice or water and serve with spring rolls, bao buns or summer rolls.
- As a glaze: brush onto plant-based protein sources (or meat if you’re not vegetarian) and bake until nice and sticky.
Hoisin goes well with soy sauce, sesame oil or chilli oil to make your own dip or stir-fry mix. Its versatility really comes to the fore in hotpots, bao buns or noodle dishes.
Clean label hoisin sauce
It’s quite difficult to find a “clean label” hoisin. Hoisin from Asian shops or supermarkets usually contains a lot of flavour enhancers and E numbers. Do you also care about what’s in your food? We have made our hoisin wok sauce as pure as possible, without any unnecessary additives.
Plant-based and gluten-free. And that doesn’t detract from the taste at all. On the contrary, it’s super tasty and goes well with meat, plant-based protein sources, vegetables and noodles. A friend to everyone.
Is hoisin spicy?
No, hoisin sauce is not spicy. The flavour is mainly sweet and savoury. Do you like a little more spice? Then add chilli, sambal or sriracha for a spicy twist.
Ready to get started? Here are a few delicious recipes with hoisin stir-fry sauce.
Make your own hoisin sauce or buy it?
You can make your own hoisin sauce, but you need quite a few ingredients: fermented soybeans or good tamari, rice vinegar, mirin, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, spices…
That takes time, shopping and money. Having a good, “clean” ready-made hoisin sauce at home is not a luxury at all. Developed for your convenience. And you can be sure that the taste is 100% right.
Did you know?
- Hoisin means “sea creature sauce”, but does not contain any fish or shellfish.
- In China, hoisin is best known as a glaze for char siu or Peking duck.
- Hoisin is related to soy sauce, but is sweeter and thicker in texture. However, it is not uncommon to add a dash of soy sauce to the hoisin for a little extra saltiness.
