The Ultimate Guide to Slurries

Jiang Shui He Fen Shui (酱水和分水)

Slurries are an integral component of Chinese cuisine and can be used in marinades, sauces, and thickening agents. Slurries are so commonplace they can be found in nearly every dish.

But what is a slurry?

A slurry is simply a semi-liquid mix suspended in water. When it comes to Chinese cooking, the most famous type of slurry is definitely a thickening slurry – a mix of either corn starch or potato starch and water used at the end of the cooking process to thicken the final sauce. However, aromatic slurries are not to be overlooked. Aromatic slurries involve crushing aromatics and mixing them with water. Such slurries work great as additional sauces for cold noodle dishes and as marinades for fish fillets.

Aromatic Slurries (香料水)

Aromatic Slurries are made from fresh aromatic ingredients such as garlic, ginger, and scallion that have been combined with water. The aromatic ingredient is usually finely diced or pulverized in a mortar with a pestle. There isn’t a huge difference in flavor between these two options, but pulverizing has the advantage of releasing the flavor into the water slightly faster. Regardless of method, the flavor will be fully incorporated once the Slurry is added. Other options include using a blender, food processor, or grater to quickly achieve rather fine particles for a smooth slurry. Though, an ultra-smooth slurry is not always necessary. The Garlic Slurries used for Sichuan Cold Noodles will often have rather large pieces of chopped garlic.

Garlic Slurry (蒜水)

Garlic Slurry is a super simple slurry made by combining minced or chopped garlic with water. The garlic flavor infuses into the water making a delicious garlic sauce that is a vital ingredient to Sichuan Cold Noodles (凉面). The size of the minced Garlic can range from tiny granules to large chunks depending on one's preference. I usually prefer to mince it quite small, but this is optional.

Ingredients

2 - 4 cloves of Garlic
1/4 cup of Water

Directions

1.) Smash, peel, and finely mince the Garlic, setting it aside in a small bowl.

(The Garlic could also be peeled, placed into a mortar, and smashed into tiny bits with a pestle).

2.) Add the Water and mix thoroughly, preferably allowing the mixture to rest about 1 minute before use.

 

Ginger Slurry (姜水)

Ginger Slurry is also a great addition to Cold Noodles. However, whereas Garlic Slurry is an integral ingredient, Ginger Slurry is not quite as necessary, and not all Cold Noodle stalls will carry this ingredient. Ginger Slurry, nevertheless, adds an extra burst of flavor that really elevates Cold Noodle Dishes. Ginger Slurry is also an excellent addition to most Sichuan Fish Dishes, either added alone or alongside Scallion. Ginger Slurry is often combined with a Garlic Slurry to balance the aromatic flavors.

Ingredients

2-inch block of Ginger
1/4 cup of Water

Directions

1.) Peel and finely mince the Ginger, setting it aside in a small bowl.

(The Ginger could also be peeled, placed into a mortar, and pulverized with a pestle).

2.) Add the Water and mix thoroughly, preferably allowing the mixture to rest about 1 minute before use.

 

Ginger Scallion Slurry (姜葱水)

When I first got into Sichuan cooking, I thought a Ginger Scallion Slurry was something of my own creation. I thought I had discovered an ingenious way of marinating fish. Traditionally, the fish for many Sichuan dishes is marinated by rubbing the fish with ginger and scallion or by simply mixing in crushed pieces of ginger and scallion with the fish. I realized that, by creating a Slurry, I could more evenly coat the fish and more effectively infuse the flavor. I was, therefore, a bit surprised when I saw other Sichuan chefs using this method. I thought that I had created a new method, but really, I had just discovered on my own something that all Sichuan chefs already know and regularly use. Needless to say, a Ginger Scallion Slurry is an extremely useful tool in your quest for delicious Sichuan cuisine. I regularly use this Ginger Scallion Slurry for making Red Poached Fish (红烧鱼).

Ingredients

2-inch block of Ginger
4-inch green stalk of Scallion (香葱)
1/4 cup of Water

Directions

1.) Peel the Ginger and finely mince it along with the Scallion, setting them aside in a small bowl.

(The Ginger could also be peeled, placed into a mortar along with the Scallion, and both of them pulverized with a pestle. I often place them together in a food processor to achieve a smooth paste).

2.) Add the Water and mix thoroughly, preferably allowing the mixture to rest about 1 minute before use.

 

Thickening Slurries

Thickening slurries are a simple mix of water and starch used for thickening a sauce at the end of the cooking process. There are three types of starches commonly used in China for thickening slurries: Corn Starch, Potato Starch, and Sweet Potato Starch. Of these three, Sweet Potato Starch is more commonly used in Sichuan. However, as you might have noticed from checking any of my recipes, I often provide instructions for Corn Starch Slurries. This is because I prefer to use Corn Starch over Potato Starch when cooking – not because of any difference in flavor, but simply because I’m more accustomed to using it. The flavor of sauces thickened with a Corn Starch Slurry and those thickened with a Potato Starch Slurry are virtually identical. So, use your preferred starch or experiment with any of the three.

Corn Starch Slurry (玉米粉水)

Corn Starch Slurries are simple enough to make and relatively inexpensive. The amount of Corn Starch to Water will usually be a ratio of one to one – so, one teaspoon of Corn Starch to one teaspoon of Water, one tablespoon Corn Starch to one tablespoon Water, etc. However, if preparing the Corn Starch Slurry as part of a sauce, the amount of Corn Starch will often need to be adjusted slightly to a one-to-one ratio with all of the liquid ingredients (often, but not always). If there is slightly too much liquid, you’ll simply need to cook the dish longer to reach the desired thickness.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. Corn Starch
1 Tbsp. Water

Directions

1.) In a small bowl, mix together the Corn Starch and Water until the Corn Starch has dissolved completely with the Water. Set aside the mixture aside while preparing the other ingredients to be cooked.

2.) When the food is cooking and after all the sauces and seasonings have been added, give the Corn Starch Slurry a final stir before pouring around the food in the wok.

3.) Stir the Corn Starch Slurry into the dish and allow the sauce to thicken.

 

Potato Starch Slurry (土豆粉水)

Potato Starch Slurries are a common type of thickening slurry used in Sichuan. However, it might take slightly more practice cooking with them than with Corn Starch Slurries. This is because, unlike a Corn Starch Slurry, the ratio of Potato Starch to Water is never one to one. Potato Starch is slightly more potent than Corn Starch when it comes to thickening sauces. This means that slightly less Potato Starch is needed to equal the same consistency as Corn Starch. In most recipes involving sauces, Potato Starch could be easily subbed for Corn Starch by simply adding slightly less Potato Starch than the amount listed for Corn Starch. BUT Potato Starch is not as good for either breading or battering food for frying. This is because it won’t stay as crispy as Corn Starch or Sweet Potato Starch due to Potato Starch becoming soggy from absorbing too much oil.

Ingredients

2 tsp. Potato Starch
1 Tbsp. Water

Directions

1.) In a small bowl, mix together the Potato Starch and Water until the Potato Starch has dissolved completely with the Water. Set the mixture aside while preparing the other ingredients to be cooked.

2.) When the food is cooking and after all the sauces and seasonings have been added, give the Potato Starch Slurry a final stir before pouring it around the food in the wok.

3.) Stir the Potato Starch Slurry into the dish and allow the sauce to thicken.

Sweet Potato Starch Slurry (红薯粉水)

Sweet Potato Starch Slurries are perhaps the most common type of thickening slurry used in Sichuan. The color is bright, the flavor is neutral, and the aroma is excellent. Its quality is equal to and perhaps slightly better than Corn Starch and easily surpasses that of regular Potato Starch. Like Corn Starch, Sweet Potato Starch is great for breading and battering fried food, and like Potato Starch, Sweet Potato Starch is a potent thickening agent for sauces. If you have access to Sweet Potato Starch, I would highly recommend using it. If unable to find, the second best would be Corn Starch and the worst, in my opinion, would be Potato Starch.

Ingredients

2 tsp. Sweet Potato Starch
1 Tbsp. Water

Directions

1.) In a small bowl, mix together the Sweet Potato Starch and Water until the Sweet Potato Starch has dissolved completely with the Water. Set the mixture aside while preparing the other ingredients to be cooked.

2.) When the food is cooking and after all the sauces and seasonings have been added, give the Sweet Potato Starch Slurry a final stir before pouring it around the food in the wok.

3.) Stir the Sweet Potato Starch Slurry into the dish and allow the sauce to thicken.

 

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