Essential Chinese Sauces and Condiments: Ever wondered what makes a well-stocked Chinese pantry, and how to get started to setting up your own? Read this guide for the most essential Chinese sauces and condiments that you can’t do without. With these fundamental building blocks, you’ll be able to recreate many other common Chinese sauces to make your dishes flavourful and delicious!
Many readers have been asking which brands of sauces and condiments we use for our recipes and where to purchase them, as not all brands are readily available at the regular supermarkets and grocery stores. So today, we have decided to open up our pantry and put all our essential Chinese sauces and condiments on display, so you can easily refer to it when cooking any of our recipes.
Since we all face the constraint of limited kitchen and fridge space, we have decided to focus this list only on the essential Chinese sauces and condiments, which are the building blocks for recreating other types of Chinese sauces. For example, we don’t include Char Siew sauce and Black Bean sauce, because you can recreate your own with these basic ingredients (see our Grilled Char Siew (Sticky Chinese Roast Pork) and Stir-fried Beef with Bitter Gourd recipes.)
These are our recommendations based on our best knowledge at this point, but if there are any essential Chinese sauces and/or brands that you think should be on this list, we welcome your suggestions in the comments below. We will continue to update this resource as and when we come across new brands / sauces worthy of making it to our essential Chinese sauces list!
We are also working on a similar guide for other Chinese pantry categories such as Dried/ Preserved Foods, Fresh Chinese Vegetables and Common Chinese Cookware and Utensils which we feel will be especially useful to beginners in Chinese cuisine. So if you have any special requests, please let us know in the comments below!
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post for any brand, just a list of the essential sauces and favourite brands we use. It may however contain affiliate links whereby if you click on a link and make a purchase (e.g. on Amazon), we receive a small commission that helps to keep this site running.
1. LIGHT SOY SAUCE
Also known as:
- 酱油 (jiàng yóu) or 生抽 (shēng chōu) in Mandarin
Interesting Trivia:
- Light soy sauce is brewed using 4 ingredients: Soy bean, wheat, water and salt. Some brands do offer gluten-free versions of soy sauce which do not use wheat.
- Light soy sauce is one of the essential ingredients that is used for marinating meats, as well as seasoning during cooking and for dips.
- Some brands of light soy sauce are very salty. My go-to brand for light soy sauce is Kwong Cheong Thye (KCT) Superior Grade light soy sauce which is richly flavourful and not too salty. I always go for the superior grade rather than standard grade, to give a deeper and richer flavour to my dishes.
Brand: Kwong Cheong Thye (KCT) Light Soya Sauce Superior Grade /广祥泰陈年老抽王酱油
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Widely available at supermarkets, online grocery stores and wet market dry grocery stalls
2. DARK SOY SAUCE
Also known as:
- Cooking caramel
- 黑酱油 (hēi jiàng yóu) or 老抽 (lǎo chōu) in Mandarin
Interesting Trivia:
- Dark soy sauce is similar to light soy sauce, but with the addition of ingredients like caramel / brown sugar and a thickening agent like corn starch. As a result, it is darker, thicker and less salty than light soy sauce, and is also slightly sweet.
- It is commonly used as a marinade as well as for adding a reddish brown colour to dishes such as Char Siew, Chinese Sticky Pork Ribs and Bak Kwa (Chinese Pork Jerky). It is also used for braising dishes like Braised Pork Belly (Kung Bak) and Pig’s Trotters.
- This versatile sauce can also double up as a dipping sauce for Hainanese Chicken Rice and Bak Kut Teh. It is fantastic as a dip (together with cut red chilli) for eating Rose Apples (‘Jumbu’).
- Some brands of dark soy sauce are very salty / very dark coloured, which can make your dish look less attractive. My favourite brand of dark soy sauce is Cheong Chan (Elephant Brand). Although the sauce bottle says ‘Cooking Caramel’ (confusing right?), it is actually a really good dark soy sauce that is favourful and not too salty.
Brand #1: TST Cheong Chan Cooking Caramel (aka Elephant Brand) 祥珍顶靓生晒油
Where To Purchase:
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- Singapore: Widely available at supermarkets, online grocery stores and wet market dry grocery stalls
3. RED DATE THICK SOY SAUCE
Also known as:
- 鲜枣老抽 (xiān zǎo lǎo chōu) in Mandarin
Interesting Trivia:
- Red Date Thick Soy Sauce is made from premium red dates, soy beans, Sugar, Salt, Caramel and Wheat Flour and brewed naturally over months without MSG and preservatives.
- For those who prefer a deeper flavour, Red Date Dark Soya Sauce is a good alternative to the Elephant Brand Dark Soy Sauce and has the additional nutrients from the addition of red dates in the flavourful brew.
- In terms of taste, Red Date Thick Soy Sauce is slightly sweeter and richer than the Elephant brand dark soy sauce, and slightly tangy (sourish).
- I would use the Red Date Thick Soy Sauce instead of Dark Soy Sauce for dishes that need a richer flavour, e.g. Braised Pork Belly, Black Soya Sauce Chicken ( Si Yao Gai).
Brand: Tong Foong Red Date Thick Soy Sauce 东方酱国鲜枣老抽
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Widely available at supermarkets, online grocery stores and wet market dry grocery stalls
4. OYSTER SAUCE
Also known as:
- 蚝油 (háo yóu) in Mandarin
Interesting Trivia:
- Oyster sauce was invented by Lee Kum Sheung (founder of Lee Kum Kee) in 1888, is made from oyster extracts, sugar, water, salt and wheat flour.
- I usually get the premium grade oyster sauce (picture of a man and woman rowing a boat to catch oysters). The price of Premium Oyster Sauce can be more than double that of the standard grade Panda Oyster Sauce (both manufactured by Lee Kum Kee), but the richer and concentrated oyster flavour of the premium sauce is definitely worth the heftier price tag. Although it is more expensive, one bottle can actually last quite long as the sauce is very rich and concentrated and you don’t have to use too much of it each time.
- It is used for seasoning all kinds of meats in most Chinese cuisine. It is also added to stir fry vegetables to enhance the taste. Thus it is found in most homes.
Brand: Lee Kum Kee
Product Name: Premium Brand Oyster Sauce 李锦记特级蚝油
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Widely available at supermarkets, online grocery stores and wet market dry grocery stalls
- International: Amazon
5. CHINESE RICE WINE (HUA TIAO CHIEW)
Also known as:
- Chinese cooking wine
- 花雕酒 (huā diāo jiǔ) or 绍兴酒 (shào xīng jiǔ) in Mandarin
Interesting Trivia:
- Chinese Rice Wine (Hua Diao Jiu) is the most common Chinese cooking wine made from glutinous rice and wheat. It is sometimes referred to as Shaoxing wine, because it originates from the famous wine-producing Shaoxing region in China.
- Hua Diao Jiu is used to add a punch to dishes such as Drunken Prawns, Steamed Black Fungus Chicken in Chinese Wine, Cantonese Steamed Fish, Yang Zhou Fried Rice, Fried Kailan Stem and many more.
Brand: Plum Blossom Brand Hua Tiao Chiew 梅花牌花雕酒
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Widely available at supermarkets, online grocery stores and wet market dry grocery stalls
6. WHITE SESAME OIL
Also known as:
- 麻油 (má yóu) or 芝麻油 (zhī ma yóu) in Mandarin
Interesting Trivia:
- In Chinese cooking, there are 2 kinds of sesame oil: white sesame oil and black sesame oil. White sesame oil has a lighter flavour and is more suitable for everyday cooking.
- White sesame oil is also a very common ingredient used in Chinese confinement recipes for postnatal mothers, because according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, sesame is considered a ‘warming’ ingredient that helps the women to pass out lochia. That’s why you will see sesame oil being used in almost every confinement recipe, together with old ginger, Chinese rice wine (see item 5) and black vinegar (see item 9).
Brand: Chee Seng 100% Pure White Sesame Oil 志成香麻油
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Widely available at supermarkets, online grocery stores and wet market dry grocery stalls
7. CHINESE FIVE-SPICES POWDER
Also known as:
- 五香粉 (wǔ xiāng fěn) in Mandarin
Interesting Trivia:
- Chinese five-spice powder is made of 5 spices commonly used in Chinese cooking, typically consisting of star anise (八角 Ba Jiao), cloves (丁香 Ding Xiang), Chinese cinnamon (肉桂 Rou Gui), Sichuan pepper (花椒 Hua Jiao) and fennel seeds (小茴香 Xiao Hui Xiang)
- I don’t have a particular preference for any brand as I feel that most brands sold locally have a similar flavour. However I bought the Masterfood brand because of its glass packaging, which I feel helps to preserve the flavours of the spices better.
Brand: MasterFoods Chinese Five Spice Powder, Masterfoods
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Widely available at supermarkets, online grocery stores and wet market dry grocery stalls
8. WHITE RICE VINEGAR
Also known as:
- 百米醋 (bǎi mǐ cù) in Mandarin
Interesting Trivia:
- White rice vinegar is made from fermenting rice.
- It is commonly used to pickle fruits and vegetables including cucumber, green papaya, ginger, carrot and cabbage, as well as to make dishes like Gu Lou Yuk (Sweet and Sour Pork).
- The most commonly used brand of White Rice Vinegar in Singapore is Narcissus Brand. It is packaged in a glass bottle.
- Do not get it confused with Artificial Vinegar (mainly for cleaning purposes) which is packaged in plastic containers.
Brand: Narcissus Brand White Rice Vinegar 水白米醋
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Widely available at supermarkets, online grocery stores and wet market dry grocery stalls
9. BLACK SWEET RICE VINEGAR
Also known as:
- Black Sweet Vinegar
- 甜黑醋 (tián hēi cù)
Interesting Trivia:
- Black sweet rice vinegar is made by black glutinous rice, together with other grains such as wheat, millet and sorghum.
- It has a deeper and richer flavour compared to white rice vinegar, and is commonly used as a seasoning or sauce.
- It is also a very popular ingredient used in Chinese confinement recipes, such as Pig’s Trotters in Black Vinegar, as it believed to cleanse the blood.
- The most common brand of Black Sweet Rice Vinegar is Chang Kong Thye. However it is more commonly known as the Dog Brand or Kow Jai Peow (Cantonese) due to the cute bulldog logo. It comes in two versions – pink label or yellow label. Pink label (picture below) is the double strength formulation, while the yellow label (not shown) is the original formulation. I prefer to use the pink label as it is richer and stronger.
Brand: Chang Kong Thye Black Sweet Rice Vinegar (Pink Label) 陈公泰/
Where To Purchase
- Singapore: Widely available at supermarkets, online grocery stores and wet market dry grocery stalls
10. SWEET SAUCE (FOR NGOR HIANG / HEI ZHO)
Also known as:
- 甜酱 (tián jiàng) in Mandarin
Interesting Trivia:
- There are many kinds of Chinese sweet sauces, so it’s easy to get confused. Sweet sauce (made from just sugar and caramel) is typically used as a dipping sauce for dishes such as Ngoh Hiang, Hei Zho and Teochew Png Kueh. You can also use it as a seasoning to fry Chai Tau Kueh (Fried Carrot Cake – Black Version) and Char Kway Teow. Don’t get it confused with Sweet Flour Sauce which is one of the key ingredients for Popiah and Pie Tee (see item no. 11).
Brand: Tai Hua Sweet Sauce 大华甜酱
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Widely available at supermarkets, online grocery stores and wet market dry grocery stalls
11. SWEET FLOUR SAUCE (FOR POPIAH / PIE TEE)
Also known as:
- Popiah sauce
- 甜酱 (tián jiàng) in Mandarin (same name as item 10, which is a source of confusion!)
Interesting Trivia:
- Sweet flour sauce is made from sugar, flour and salt, and is typically used as a table sauce for Popiah and Pie Tee.
- It is sweeter, less viscous and lighter brown coloured compared to the sweet sauce (see item 10) used for Ngor Hiang and Hei Zho.
- Sweet Flour Sauce is a sauce specially made for Popiah and Pie Tee by Sin Ngee brand, but most people call it the Buddha brand due to its logo of a buddha.
Brand: Sin Ngee Sweet Flour Sauce 甜酱 (commonly known as Buddha brand)
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Not available at many local supermarkets. You can get it from the wet market dry grocery stalls. Alternatively you can search for online grocers that carry this brand.
12. MALTOSE
Also known as:
- 麦芽糖 (mài yá táng) in Mandarin
Interesting Trivia:
- Maltose is made from rice malt and water, and is similar in appearance but more viscous than honey.
- In Chinese cooking, maltose is commonly used as a glaze for dishes such as Bak Kwa, Char Siew and Chinese-style Sticky Pork Ribs, or for dishes with sticky sauces such as Sweet and Sour Pork (Gu Lou Yuk) and Sticky Coffee Pork Ribs with Kahlua (咖啡排骨).
- In the old days, street vendors would sell Maltose Candy (麦芽糖) by twirling the maltose around with two sticks for the customers as a lollipop. Ding Ding Candy (叮叮糖) is another old-school treat that was made using maltose.
- For cooking purposes, you can substitute maltose with honey if you prefer. However whenever possible, I prefer to cook with maltose for several reasons. Firstly, honey has a very strong distinctive flavour that doesn’t blend as well into Chinese cooking, whereas maltose is milder but also very fragrant in its own way. Secondly, maltose is more viscous than honey, so it gives a thicker glaze to the meats. Thirdly, maltose is less sweet than honey, so the thicker glaze will not make the dish overly sweet.
- I don’t have a particular brand preference. However, I prefer to buy maltose from stores like Phoon Huat where the stock turnover is higher compared to regular supermarkets and minimarts. In any case, always open up the cap and check that the maltose is not mouldy, and has not turned dark (fresh maltose should look golden coloured like honey).
Brand: Great Wall Brand Liquid Maltose 长城牌麦芽糖
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Generally available at supermarkets, online grocery stores and wet market dry grocery stalls. However I recommend the best place to buy this is Phoon Huat.
12. HONG KONG SHRIMP PASTE
Also known as:
- Har Cheong in Cantonese
- 虾酱 (xiā jiàng)
Interesting Trivia:
- Navigating the world of shrimp paste can be confusing! The Shrimp Paste used in dishes like Har Cheong Gai is typically produced in Hong Kong. It is made of silver shrimp, salt and water, and the shrimp paste is light pinkish grey in color.
- Do not get it confused with another type of Shrimp paste (Otak Udang or Hei Ko in Hokkien) typically produced in Penang, which is black in colour and used in dishes like Rojak. There is another type of shrimp paste, known more commonly by its Malay name – Belacan (see item 13), used to make belacan chilli.
- When choosing Hong Kong Shrimp Paste, we look for sauces that are fragrant and not too salty, and these are the two brands we would recommend.
Brand #1: Fook Tai Hing Oyster Sauce and Shrimp Sauce Factory Shrimps Sauce
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Only available at wet market dry grocery stalls (to my best knowledge)
Brand #2: Yan Kee Oyster Sauce and Shrimp Sauce Factory Shrimp Sauce
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Only available at wet market dry grocery stalls (to my best knowledge)
13. BELACHAN
Also known as
- Belacan
- Blachan
Interesting Trivia:
- Belachan is made from finely rushed shrimp or krill mixed with salt and then fermented for several weeks or sundried. It is mainly produced in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines. It is usually pressed into a round cake or a rectangular block.
- Belachan is one of the ingredients found in most spicy dishes, and the most common preparation is using this to make sambal belachan. For instructions on how to prepare sambal belachan, please read my recipe post for Spicy Water Spinach (Sambal Kangkong).
- It has to be toasted before it is blended with other spices to bring out its strong, distinctive aroma. (Warning: When you fry belachan, the smell can get quite pungent, so make sure you open the windows to air the place!)
Brand: Shrimp and GA Brand Belacan 檳城峇拉煎
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Generally available at most supermarkets and wet market dry grocery stalls (to my best knowledge)
14. FERMENTED RED BEANCURD
Also known as
- 南乳 (nán rǔ) or 红腐乳 (hóng fǔ rǔ) in Mandarin
- Nam Yue in Cantonese
Interesting Trivial
- Fermented Red Beancurd is actually small pieces of bean curd fermented for 6 months and preserved in Rice Wine, Salt, Red Yeast Rice Wine and other spices. The Red Yeast Rice is the main ingredient responsible for the deep red colour of the bean curd sauce and its alcoholic flavour.
- The texture of the fermented beancurd is similar to soft cheese.
- It is sold in glass jars with the small cubes bean curd soaked in the rice wine
- You can use fermented red beancurd in small quantities for seasoning meat and chicken such as Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk), for braising Pork Belly sandwiched between 2 pieces of yams and stir frying Cantonese Style Chap Choi (Chap Chai).
- I like to use either Sin Guo brand or Fu-Chung brand. Both come in square-bottom glass containers with a red cap.
Brand: Sin Guo Red Beancurd 红腐乳
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Only available some supermarkets and wet market dry grocery stalls (to my best knowledge)
Brand #2: Fu-Chung Beancurd 伏中腐乳
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Local supermarkets, online grocery stores and wet market dry grocery stalls
15. FERMENTED YELLOW BEANCURD
Also known as
- 腐乳 (fǔ rǔ) in Mandarin
- Fu Yue in Cantonese
Interesting Trivia:
- Fermented yellow beancurd is prepared in a similar way to fermented red beancurd, but it omits the Red Yeast Rice Wine, resulting in a yellow rather than red colour. Condiments like chilli and sesame oil are typically added to enhance the taste of the fermented beancurd.
- Fermented yellow beancurd is used as a seasoning for dishes such as Sweet Potato Leaves in Fermented Tofu Sauce, Garlic Dou Miao in Soup Base Recipe (Pea Shoots), and Hokkien and Nyonya Chap Chai . It can also be used to make Har Cheong Gai ( as a substitute for Hong Kong Shrimp Paste).
- You can also eat the fermented yellow beancurd as a condiment to go along with congee or noodles.
Brand: Chin Guan Hin, Soybean Curd with Chilli & Sesame
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Local supermarkets, online grocery stores and wet market grocery stalls
16. FERMENTED SOY BEAN
Also known as:
- Fermented Yellow bean
- Tau Cheo in Hokkien
Interesting Trivia:
- Fermented soy bean (Tau Cheo) comes into either whole beans or in paste form, and is typically using in Hokkien and Peranakan cooking.
- It is a key ingredient when it comes to making dishes such as Peranakan Dry Mee Siam, Nyonya Chap Chye
- Do not confuse it with the Teochew Tau Cheo which is whole yellow soya bean preserved in brine, and commonly used as a dip for many Teochew dishes including Teochew Mui (Teochew Porridge) fish cake. Teochew Tau Cheo is much lighter colour (yellowish) whereas the normal Tau Cheo is more brownish.
Brand: Choon Thye Sauce (CTS), Preserved Soya Beans
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Generally available at most supermarkets and Wet Market Dry Grocery Stalls.
- Overseas: Asian supermarkets
17. SALTED BLACK SOY BEANS
Also known as:
- Salted black beans
- Fermented black soya beans / Fermented black beans
- 豆豉 (dòu chǐ) or Hak Tau Si (in Cantonese)
Interesting Trivia:
- Salted black soy beans are made by fermenting black soya beans and preserving them in salt. They are commonly used to make dishes that use black bean sauce, including Steamed Pork Ribs in Black Bean Sauce (Tou Si Pai Guat), Steamed Fish in Black Bean Sauce and Fried Hor Fun with Beef ( in Cantonese “Gon Chao Si Chap Hor Fun”) etc.
- Salted black soy beans comes as a whole bean coated with salt, sometimes coated with finely chopped ginger. It can be very salty so its best to give it a quick rinse before use. For instructions on how to make black bean sauce, you can refer to my recipe post for Stir-fried Beef with Bitter Gourd.
- Some brands are more salty than others, so always taste sauce first before deciding whether to add more salt to your dish. It comes in a bottles or in small packets (available only at wet market and some neighbourhood provision shops).
Brand: No particular brand.
Where To Purchase:
- Singapore: Generally available at most supermarket and wet market dry grocer stalls
TADAAAA!! We have come to the end of our list of essential Chinese sauces and condiments. Phew this was a long list, but we hope that this helps you make better choices when doing your next marketing trip. Is there a particular brand of sauce that you really love and think should be included on this list? Then please leave us a comment below to let us know!
Note to Brand Representatives:
1. If you represent a Chinese sauce brand and would like us to sample your product, please email us at burningchef@theburningkitchen.com. Please kindly note that whether we include your sauce(s) on this list is entirely up to our personal discretion upon sampling the sauce(s).
2. If your brand of Chinese sauce(s) is already in this list and you would like to collaborate with us, please email us at burningchef@theburningkitchen.com. Thank you!
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Thank you for such a useful guide!! There are SO many Chinese condiments!