The functions of oyster sauce and soy sauce in cooking are basically the same, mainly to "enhance freshness", but oyster sauce is not a fermented condiment of beans like soy sauce, but uses oysters as raw materials. Compound condiments that have been boiled and concentrated are also very different from soy sauce and other condiments in terms of storage and use methods. You cannot use oyster sauce in the same way as soy sauce.

Oyster sauce is a seasoning.

Cantonese people call oysters oysters, and oyster sauce is oyster oil. It is a traditional umami seasoning in Guangdong. Oyster sauce is made from oysters, filtered and concentrated. It has natural oyster flavor, rich oyster aroma and high nutritional value. In addition to protein, fat, sugar, salt and other ingredients, it contains more than 20 kinds of amino acids and a variety of trace elements, among which zinc is relatively abundant. Although oyster sauce can enhance freshness, it is not suitable for all dishes:

1. It is best not to use oyster sauce for braised and sweet and sour dishes. Even if it is used, it must be used in small amounts

Braised dishes Most of the dishes are meat dishes. After adding star anise, bay leaves, soy sauce and other seasonings, the dish has its own fragrance. Just use sugar for coloring, but adding oyster sauce will be counterproductive.

2. Spicy dishes

Spicy dishes have a strong taste. Even if oyster sauce is added, the taste will be masked and the oyster sauce will not be able to enhance the freshness. So there is no need to add it.

3. Oyster sauce is not suitable for pickled dishes such as kimchi

When pickling kimchi, enough salt has been added, especially kimchi, and the pickling time is also long enough. The salty taste is already enough. The oyster sauce itself is not low in salt content. Adding it to it will only make it saltier.

4. Stews

It is not suitable to add oyster sauce to stews, especially meat stews. Stews generally take a long time to heat, and oyster sauce takes a long time to stew. , the umami flavor will be completely lost. Moreover, meat dishes need to be flavored but not fresh, so adding oyster sauce will be superfluous.

In addition to not putting oyster sauce in the above four types of dishes, you should also remember that if chicken essence is added to the dish, there is no need to put oyster sauce, because the functions of oyster sauce and chicken essence are repeated.