| Name | Notes | X reference | Synonyms | Recipe | Substitutes |
| Asian barbecue sauce | This is made with oil, soy sauce, and other seasonings. | ||||
| bainiku | See umeboshi puree. | ||||
| balachan | See shrimp paste | ||||
| bean paste | This name is used for both bean sauce and miso. This salty brown sauce is made from fermented soybeans, and is available in cans or jars. If you buy it in a can, transfer it into a jar. It can then be stored indefinitely in the refrigerator. | bean sauce; bean paste; brown bean sauce; brown bean paste; soybean condiment; yellow bean sauce; yellow bean paste; yuan shai shih; mo yuen shih | black bean sauce OR chillie bean sauce OR awase miso OR brown miso | ||
| belacan | See shrimp paste | ||||
| blacan | See shrimp paste | ||||
| blachan | See shrimp paste | ||||
| black bean sauce | This is made from fermented black beans. A variation is hot black bean sauce, which has chillie paste added, and black bean sauce with garlic. | Asian Black Bean Sauce | (brown) bean sauce OR hot black bean sauce | ||
| brown bean paste | |||||
| chee hou sauce | This braising sauce is made from soybeans, garlic, and ginger. | che hau sauce; chu hou paste | hoisin sauce (Very similar, but less spicy.) | ||
| chilli bean paste | This reddish-brown sauce is made from fermented soybeans and hot chilliees. Sichuan hot bean paste = Szechuan hot bean paste, and Korea's kochu chang = kochujang. | chillie bean paste; chilliee bean sauce; chilliee bean sauce; bean paste with chilliee; hot bean paste | bean sauce + chillie paste OR bean sauce + chopped chillie peppers | ||
| chilli paste | This is a blend of hot chillie peppers, garlic, oil, and salt that's commonly used in Asian cuisine. | Asian chillie paste; chilli paste; chillie paste | hot sauce OR harissa OR crushed red pepper flakes (to taste; start with 1/4 as much) OR dried red chillie peppers | ||
| chilli paste; chilli paste; chilli bean paste | |||||
| Chinese chilli (or chilli) paste | |||||
| Chinese duck sauce | plum sauce. | ||||
| Chinese mustard | Chinese hot mustard | Gradually add 1/4 cup boiling water to 1/4 cup dry English mustard, stirring constantly, then add 1 teaspoon oil. | |||
| Chinese plum sauce | plum sauce. | ||||
| dwen jang | This is a salty Korean bean paste | customary soy bean paste | red miso | ||
| fish sauce | There are various vegetarian mock sauce recipes and a highly regarded recipe on this site. One aspect of this that is written reasonably frequently is the suggestion that Soy Sauce can be substituted for Fish Sauce. This may be the case for specific recipes but won't work for all recipes. The flavour added by soy is very different to that added by fish sauce. The salt content is similar but the savoury aspect is not. | ||||
| hoisin sauce | This is a sweet and garlicky bean sauce that's often used as a dipping sauce. Available in Asian markets and in many large supermarkets. | Visit the Hoisin Sauce posting on the Recipe Source site. Substitutes: Simmer for 12 minutes: ¾ C pitted prunes + 2 C water + 1 tablespoon crushed garlic, then add 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce + 1 ½ tablespoons dry sherry and puree. (Adapted from recipe in Good & Plenty: America's New Home Cooking by Victoria Wise and Susanna Hoffman. ) OR ¼ C soy sauce + ¼ C plum sauce + 1 teaspoon flour + dash five-spice powder + dash garlic powder + sugar or honey to taste (From a usenet posting by Lynn M. Wiegard. See my sources.) OR chee hou sauce (spicier) OR apple butter (Thanks to reader Richard Nolles for this suggestion.) OR sweet bean sauce (spicier) | |||
| hot bean paste | Kochujang paste a Korean ingredient is such. | ||||
| hot chilli sauce | Visit the Hot chillie Sauce recipe posting on RecipeSource.com. | ||||
| hot garlic sauce | any Asian hot chillie paste | ||||
| Indonesian sweet soy sauce | See kecap manis | ||||
| kejap manis | See kecap manis. | ||||
| ketjap manis | See kecap manis | ||||
| kochu chang | kochujang | ||||
| Korean barbecue sauce | bulgogi sauce; bulkogi sauce | ||||
| Korean chilli paste | |||||
| oyster sauce | This Cantonese dipping sauce is both sweet and salty. Look for bottles of it in Asian markets and large supermarkets. | Bring to a boil, then simmer in a covered pot for 30 minutes: 2 C fresh oysters + 3 C water + 1 C bottled clam juice + 1 teaspoon salt + 1 clove of garlic + white portion of 1 green onion + 1 slice of fresh ginger root, then add a mixture of 1/4 C soy sauce + 1 teaspoon sugar + 2 teaspoons cornstarch + 3 tablespoons water, and simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, then strain out the solids in the sauce and discard. | |||
| red bean curd | red bean curd cheese; red preserved bean curd | ||||
| red sweet bean paste | This is made from azuki beans, and Asian cooks use it to fill buns and dumplings and to make puddings. Like peanut butter, it comes in both creamy and crunchy versions. The creamy version also comes in powdered form. Don't confuse this with sweet bean paste, which is made from sweetened fermented soybeans. | red bean paste; red bean sauce; sweet red bean paste | Cook a cup of azuki beans until they're soft (about 1 1/2 hours), then puree the softened beans in a food processor. Pour the puree into a cotton kitchen towel and squeeze out the water. Put what's left into a saucepan, add 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup shortening, and a pinch of salt, and heat while stirring until it's thickened to the consistency of miso. | ||
| sambal bajak | sambal badjak | Sambal Bajak. | |||
| sambal blachan | Sambal Blachan | ||||
| sambal dabo lilang | Sambal Dabo Lilang | ||||
| sambal manis | This Indonesian sauce is used for dipping and stir fries. It's fairly spicy, but milder than sambal oelek. | sambal oelek (hotter) OR soy sauce | |||
| sambal oelek | sambal ulek | Mix hot fresh chillie peppers (including seeds, if you dare) and a bit of water in a blender until it forms a paste, then add a bit of salt, or see the sambal oelek recipe posted on RecipeSource.com | other chillie paste OR harissa OR hot pepper sauce OR red pepper flakes OR chillie powder | ||
| shrimp paste | Look for this in Southeast Asian markets. This is a fermented paste of homogenised shrimp. It is used extensively. The paste itself has an overpowering aroma this becomes unobvious when used as an ingredient and is dependant on the amount. | blachan; blacan; balachan; belacan; trassi (in Indonesia);trasi; terasi; kapi; mam tom | |||
| Sriracha | This is a hot sauce used as a condiment by Thais and Vietnamese. | Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce (not as sweet) | |||
| sweet bean sauce | This brown sauce is made from sweetened fermented soybeans. Taiwanese cooks use it as a marinade or a condiment for meats. It's the basis for the sauce used by Beijing restaurants for Beijing Duck and Beijing Noodles | sweet bean paste | hoisin sauce (milder) | ||
| toi sauce | See tuong | ||||
| tonkatsu sauce | recipe on this site. Commercial recommendation: Bulldog Brand. | ||||
| trasi; trassi | See shrimp paste | ||||
| umeboshi paste | See umeboshi puree. | ||||
| umeboshi plums | 1 teaspoon sea salt per plum substituted | ||||
| umeboshi puree | umeboshi paste; bainiku Substitutes: sea salt OR miso OR soy sauce | ||||
| Vietnamese fish sauce | See fish sauce. | ||||
| Vietnamese hot sauce | |||||
| Vietnamese soy sauce | See tuong. | ||||
| wasabi | Look for this in the Asian foods section of your supermarket. It comes either in powdered form or as a paste. To convert the powder into a paste, mix 2 parts wasabi powder with 3 parts water. | wasabe; Japanese horseradish | Blend ground dry mustard with water until it forms a paste | ||
| X.O. sauce | Asians pour this sauce over noodles and seafood. It's made from dried anchovies, shrimp, and chilliees. | X.O. chillie sauce |
