Buzz
The culinary world is full of terms that can easily cause confusion (and I’m not even getting into those French terms that stuck around). For instance, consider fish sauce. While the sauce itself is straightforward, placing it next to oyster sauce, followed by a mention of lobster sauce, may leave you asking, “What’s the distinction?” Here’s a breakdown of these sauces and how you can use them.
When to Incorporate Fish Sauce into Your Dishes
Fish sauce, one of my go-to seasonings, is a potent umami-packed liquid. This thin, reddish-brown sauce from Southeast Asia is often paired with other seasonings to amplify the savory depth of dishes. It’s created by fermenting small fish, typically anchovies, in salt for several months or even up to two years. It’s salty, funky, and a small amount goes a long way. However, some dishes, such as som tum salad, use it in more generous quantities.
Fish sauce doesn’t have to be cooked—feel free to mix it into salad dressings or drizzle it over rice—but it can also be incorporated into dishes as they cook. Add a few drops to fried rice at the same stage you'd add soy sauce, blend it into your meatball mixture for extra depth, or stir it into melted butter to create a rich and savory topping for popcorn.
Here are a few fish sauce brands I recommend:
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Squid Brand Fish Sauce
Thai Kitchen Fish Sauce
When to Incorporate Oyster Sauce into Your Dishes
I believe oyster sauce is one of those ingredients you didn’t realize you were missing. When I first moved away to college, I thought I could replicate my home cooking with just basics like soy sauce and fish sauce, but I couldn’t quite get the right consistency. Oyster sauce turned out to be the secret ingredient I was missing.
Oyster sauce, which first emerged in China, was traditionally crafted by simmering oysters to create a rich, dark sauce. (I find the story amusing that the first oyster sauce was allegedly created by a chef who accidentally let a pot of oyster soup overcook.) Today, most commercial oyster sauces are made with oyster extracts, are dark brown in color, and are usually thickened with cornstarch. The flavor is distinct from that of fish sauce, as it is translucent, dark brown, slightly sweet, savory, and subtly funky, similar to oysters, yet far less pungent than fish sauce. It is thick enough to be scooped up with a spoon.
For me, oyster sauce and fish sauce work harmoniously together, balancing each other out with their contrasting qualities. Oyster sauce contributes a rich thickness to dishes like pad see ew or pad kee mao, and its sweetness is equally important. While it has a savory and salty essence, oyster sauce often functions like a sweet glaze, perfect for drizzling over noodles or meats. It can be added to marinades, stews, or stir-fry sauces at the same time as other seasonings.
Here are a few oyster sauce brands that I personally enjoy:
Mae Krua Oyster Sauce
Lee Kum Kee Oyster Sauce
When should lobster sauce be used?
Lobster sauce can be a bit misleading when compared to other Asian condiments, likely due to its name. Unlike fish sauce and oyster sauce, where the namesake sea creatures are used in production, lobster isn’t actually part of the lobster sauce. Fish and oyster sauces are fundamental ingredients that come bottled, ready to complement other elements to create a full sauce, whereas lobster sauce refers to the finished product itself.
Originating from American-Chinese and Canadian-Chinese cuisines, lobster sauce is crafted by blending ingredients such as chicken or beef broth with aromatics like garlic, green onion, ginger, or even fermented black beans. As noted in a linked Wikipedia article, this sauce draws inspiration from a Cantonese method of preparing lobster, which is likely how it earned its name. The sauce is light in color, unlike the dark hues of fish or oyster sauce, and is thickened with cornstarch, offering a gently salty, mellow taste. It's commonly served over shrimp with rice at Chinese restaurants, but it's also something you can whip up at home. For a recipe, check out The Woks of Life’s shrimp with lobster sauce, a reliable source for delicious dishes.
A flavorful sauce can truly elevate any dish. Consider adding a touch of fish sauce or a spoonful of oyster sauce to your veggie stir-fries, chicken marinades, or beef dishes. You could also experiment with lobster sauce, swapping in tofu or different meats like mini meatballs in place of shrimp. Now that you're familiar with the distinctions between these sauces, it's time to bring them to life in your own kitchen.
