What is Oyster Sauce??

What is Oyster Sauce??

Special thanks to Lee Kum Kee for a super authentic Chinese New Year celebration meal at the RCA Southwest Region event on Wednesday, February 1. Ms. Grace Chow and Chefs Fred and Jacki have the best spirit and customers rave about their products. Visit Lee Kum Kee’s website for recipes and a video by Martin Yan on how to make pot stickers (Martin Yan is a UC Davis grad, from the same class as our very own Russ!)

In ancient China, fermented fish paste was cooked and used as an umami ingredient. Because of its high levels of free glutamic acid, it is said to be the original flavor enhancer. Oyster sauce is credited to Hong Kong based Lee Kum Kee, invented when a chef fell asleep while boiling oysters. Today it is made in this traditional slow cook method to make premium oyster sauces. Vegetarian oyster sauce is made with the same methods from oyster mushrooms. Because of their meaty flavor and high glutamic acid content, the slow cooked oyster mushroom sauce mimics the shelfish version.