The Sichuan Pantry: Sauces and Oils

Jiang he You (奖和油)

Alcohols

Shaoxing Rice Wine is a reddish alcohol originating from Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China. This dry rice wine is used for marinating meat and to enhance the flavor of stir-fries and soups. Only a few tablespoons are normally used at a time so a decent sized bottle lasts a while. Use Shaoxing Wine when the flavor of the alcohol is integral to the dish and the quality of the alcohol's flavor is extremely important. Otherwise, use Chinese cooking wine as a cheaper alternative.

Cooking Wine (料酒) is often used as a cheap alternative to Shaoxing Rice Wine because it adds a similar flavor but lacks the price tag. The difference in Shaoxing Rice Wine and Cooking Wine is often rather minimal, so much so that they are completely interchangeable for most recipes. Shaoxing Rice Wine is technically just a higher quality cooking wine from a specific part of China.

White Liquor (白酒) is a clear white alcohol known as Bai Jiu that to be honest... tastes disgusting. It's popular in China among the older generations, but younger Chinese people seem to prefer beer. As for cooking, Bai Jiu has a rather strong flavor and not quite as many uses as Cooking Wine, Shaoxing Rice Wine, or even Beer. However, it is used for making Sichuan Paocai and helps the pickles to ferment.

Beer in China is similar to German beer because the first beer brewed in China was by Germans. Of the two popular Chinese beer brands (Tsingtao and Haerbin), Tsingtao Beer is perhaps the oldest. Tsingtao is pronounced Qingdao, and like its name suggests, it comes from Qingdao, Shandong, China (One of the worst cities in China to live in, but a decent place to grab a beer). Qingdao Beer is light and not very strong. In Sichuan, a popular brand of beer with similar flavor to that of Qingdao Beer is Chongqing Beer. Beer can be used as a quick and delicious marinade or to create a rich broth for spicy, soupy dishes.

Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock is an essential base for numerous sauces, stir-fries, and soups. Sichuan-style chicken stock centers around the pure chicken flavor rendered from meat and bones. During the boiling process other flavors are added to enhance the natural chicken flavor and not to deter from it. These include ingredients such as ginger and scallion. For a simple and quick recipe on how to make stock, click on the following link: Simple Chicken Stock.

Chili Bean Paste

Chili Bean Paste, Doubang Jiang, is made from spicy red chilies and broad beans slightly mashed, mixed together, and fermented in a savory, salty, sour, and spicy flavor bomb. Usually, chili bean paste is stir-fried in a few tablespoons of oil along with diced ginger and garlic before stir-frying meats or vegetables. This process of stir-frying before cooking releases the flavors into the oil so that the oil can coat whatever is stir-fried. Try to find a chili bean paste that is slightly more spicy and aromatic than salty as it will add better flavor to dishes and allow you to control the saltiness. Pixian Broad Bean Paste is often seen as the epitome of Sichuan Chili Bean Paste. It's readily available in China, the US, and Canada.

Chili Oil

Spicy Chili Oil, also known as red oil (红油), adds a kick to any dish. Good Chili Oil is the core ingredient for numerous sauces used for cold chicken dishes and noodle dishes. Chili Oil is also a great addition to dumplings either added directly on top or as part of a dipping sauce. Store-bought chili oil can be used in most recipes BUT it can never replace the complex, aromatic flavors of homemade chili oil. Good chili oil has so many layers beyond just spicy (辣) or numbing (麻). Chili Oil in Sichuan is often not pure Chili Oil like you'd find in a bottle at the store. Good chili oil will have flakes of chilies in it. There is also Oil Chili Flakes (油辣子) which is made in a very similar process to the way Chili Oil is made. One of the most famous brands of Oil Chili Flakes is Lao Gan Ma (老干妈). If you have the time, I definitely recommend making your own Chili Oil and Oil Chili Flakes by following this link: The Ultimate Guide to Sichuan Chili Oil.

Chinkiang Vinegar

Chinkiang Vinegar is a Chinese black vinegar that is not only sour but also rich and aromatic. It adds a unique tanginess to everything from sauces and soups to stir-fries and noodles. For many people in Sichuan, the flavor is integral and often added liberally. This vinegar is so popular in China it can be found on nearly every restaurant table in China as a condiment.

Hot Pot Soup Base

Hot Pot Soup Base is a solid block of beef tallow covered in flaming-hot chilies, mouth-numbing Sichuan peppers, and deliciously fragrant spices such as bay leaves. While Hot Pot Soup Base is obviously used for homemade hot pot, it can also be used to make a deliciously spicy soup base for Sichuan beef noodles.

Frying Oils

Peanut Oil is perhaps the tastiest frying oil is great for both french fries and stir-fry. It's relatively cheap, lasts a long time, and can handle high heat. Peanut oil adds a slight nuttiness to dishes and is a somewhat suitable replacement to the special Rapeseed Oil used in Sichuan. Rapeseed Oil is nearly impossible to buy outside of Sichuan. I recommend buying at least a gallon of peanut oil because it's used so often.

Vegetable Oil and Soy Bean Oil are decent frying oils and great for seasoning a wok. However, their flavor is not as delicious as Peanut Oil and can't compare to the flavor of Rapeseed Oil. Therefore, Peanut Oil is better when you're wanting the flavor of the oil to better match the flavor of the food in Sichuan. Vegetable Oil and Soy Bean Oil are cheaper than Peanut Oil and have a very neutral flavor. Use these in recipes where the oil needs to be a neutral flavor or in recipes where the oil is discarded without flavoring the dish.

Rapeseed Oil is the standard oil used in Sichuan. However, since it can be a bit difficult to source outside of Sichuan, I recommend using Peanut Oil.

Oyster Sauce

Oyster Sauce is a thick brown sauce that's packed with umami flavor. Though it is made of oysters, the sauce doesn't have a strong fish flavor. While not as commonly used in Sichuan cuisine as with Cantonese dishes, Oyster Sauce still finds its way into quite a few dishes usually to boost the salty and umami flavors. As for which brand to buy, why not get the original? Oyster Sauce was created by Lee Kum Sheung in Guangdong Province. He later founded the company Lee Kum Kee which sells numerous products such as Oyster Sauce and Soy Sauce.

Scallion Oil

Scallion Oil is made by diffusing scallion into oil, usually peanut or rapeseed oil. While I personally do not use Scallion Oil often, many Sichuan chef's use this liberally and add it to numerous dishes for an extra pop of scallion flavor. Scallion Oil is called a brightening oil (明油), because it's added at the end of the cooking process to brighten the dish. If you would like to make your own, click the following link: Scallion Oil (葱油).

Sesame Oil

Sesame Oil is a rich, fragrant oil that is commonly added as a final step in the cooking process. Sesame Oil is used to enhance the flavor of any dish, giving it a nutty, umami, and deep toasted flavor. Sesame Oil can also be mixed with other oils and sauces to make dipping sauce for various meats, vegetables, noodles, hot pot, and dumplings. Sesame Oil can be used as a brightening oil (明油) at the end of the cooking process.

Sesame Paste

Sesame Paste is a thick sauce made from ground sesame seeds and oil. Sesame Paste is basically peanut butter with sesame seeds instead of peanuts. The sesame paste used commonly in Sichuan is darker and redder than Tahini, though the flavor is rather similar. Tahini can be used when sesame paste is unavailable, but it's best to buy Chinese Sesame Paste when able. Sesame Paste is usually mixed with other sauces for noodles, cold dishes, or as a dipping sauce for hot pot.

Sichuan Pepper Oil

Sichuan Pepper Oil is made from Sichuan peppers diffused in oil. Sichuan Pepper Oil is not as commonly used as Chili Oil, but it is usually used with Chili Oil to add even more mouth-numbing, sizzling, tingly sensation to dishes. In Chinese this oil is referred to as hua jiao you (花椒油), ma jiao you (麻椒油), and sometimes even (麻油), which can sometimes be confusing. (Ma You sounds like Sesame Oil but the flavors are obviously very different). There are also two different types of Sichuan Pepper Oil: Green Sichuan Pepper Oil (青花椒油) and Red Sichuan Pepper Oil (红花椒油). Green Sichuan Pepper Oil is made with green Sichuan peppers which are not as ripe and have a stronger sizzling (麻) flavor. However, either can be used depending on your preference and what's available. You can even use a combination of both when cooking or preparing dishes.

Soy Sauce (酱油)

Light Soy Sauce (生油) is the most common and versatile soy sauce used. However, you might be confused about what LIGHT soy sauce is. Light Soy Sauce is the standard type of Soy Sauce used in Chinese cooking. There is a sharp distinction between Chinese Light Soy Sauce and Japanese Light Soy Sauce. Japanese brands of Light Soy Sauce such as Kikoman have a slightly different flavor, so I recommend buying a Chinese brand of Light Soy Sauce for cooking Chinese food. If you're buying Chinese brands of Soy Sauce and it doesn't say Dark Soy Sauce, it's going to be a type of Light Soy Sauce. However Light Soy Sauce does not equal low sodium soy sauce. It's simply a soy sauce lighter in color than dark soy sauce. In Chinese, there are two main types of Light Soy Sauce and either can be used in cooking unless specified. These are: regular and premium. Premium just means that it's the first batch of Soy Sauce that was extracted during the fermenting process and will often have the words Fresh Flavor (鲜味) before the word for Soy Sauce (生油). Therefore, Premium will have slightly stronger flavor. Any Chinese brand of Light Soy Sauce will be perfect for marinades, sauces, and stir-fries. I recommend buying a large bottle because of how often you'll use it. A common Chinese brand of Soy Sauce would be Lee Kum Kee. DO NOT BUY LA CHOY! La Choy is fake soy sauce made of food coloring and chemicals to replicate the flavor of soy sauce.

Dark Soy Sauce is a thick, rich soy sauce with a sweeter flavor, darker color, and more aromatic flavor than light soy sauce. Dark Soy Sauce is used in marinades and sauces to add not only flavor, but also color. Dark Soy Sauce gives food a reddish hue and deep flavor. Because the flavor is so strong, Dark Soy Sauce is used sparingly. Furthermore, Dark Soy Sauce is unique and can't be substituted. If the label doesn't say 'Dark Soy Sauce', then it's not Dark Soy Sauce. Mushroom Soy Sauce, Tamari, Japanese Dark Soy Sauce, Black Soy Sauce (Thai), and Sweet Soy Sauce (Thai) are not the same as Chinese Dark Soy Sauce. Therefore, only buy Chinese brands of Dark Soy Sauce.

Seasoned Soy Sauces are usually Light Soy Sauces that have been cooked or mixed with aromatic ingredients to create a more complex flavor. Seasoned Soy Sauces are great as base for noodles or as a dipping sauce for dumplings. Recipes for Seasoned Soy Sauces can be found by following this link: The Ultimate Guide to Seasoned Soy Sauces.

Syrups and Caramels

Syrups and Caramels are sauces created by cooking a mixture of sugar, water, and oil until the water dissolves and the sugar changes color. The syrups can be used at several different stages to created frosted sugar dishes, sticky caramel dishes, or red colored syrup for making red-braised (红烧) dishes. For more information, click on the following link: The Ultimate Guide to Sichuan Sugars, Caramels, and Syrups.

White Vinegar

White Vinegar is not used as commonly in Sichuan cuisine as is Chinkiang Black Vinegar. However, it is commonly found in sweet and sour sauces and other similar sauces. White Vinegar has a very simple vinegar flavor without some of the more complex or rich flavors of Black Vinegar. Therefore, it's often used when the only purpose is adding a simple sour flavor to a dish usually to balance out something sweet.

 

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