Stories of Chinese Cuisine - What Makes Good Quality Oyster Sauce

Did you know that Oyster Sauce was created by accident?

Lee Kum Sheung, founder of Lee Kum Kee, ran a tea stall that sold cooked oysters.

One day, Lee was cooking oyster soup as usual, but had lost track of time. He came back to find that his pot of normally clear oyster soup had turned into a thick, brownish sauce with an astonishingly delicious taste and aroma. Soon he started to sell his newly-invented seasoning which became a hit with the locals.

Lee Kum Kee was then founded in 1888 and the secret recipe for Lee Kum Sheung's oyster sauce has been passed down through the generations of the Lee family.

There are now many variations and brands of Oyster Sauce on the market but we can say that ours is one with an authentic heritage.

What Makes Good Quality Oyster Sauce?

Colour and Texture

A good oyster sauce should have a glossy reddish-brown colour and consistent, thick and smooth texture.

Flavour

Salty and slightly sweet, a good quality oyster sauce will bring out the “xian wei” aka umami and uplift the taste of all the ingredients.

Made with Genuine Oyster

Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce is made with genuine oyster of carefully selected quality and freshness. When you look at the list of ingredients on the oyster sauce bottle, look out for the contents of oyster extract. Quality oyster sauce contains oyster extracts as key ingredients and is not added with artificial oyster flavouring. 

Why choose Lee Kum Kee Oyster Sauce?

The stronger flavour in Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce makes it perfect for marinades, stir fries and stewing. Broccoli Beef, Noodles with Oyster Sauce (Lo Mein) and Special Fried Rice are some of the signature dishes. Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce is one of the most recognised oyster sauce by top Chinese chefs and Chinese families and is the golden standard of oyster sauce. Look for the boat lady and boat boy on the product label.

The Panda Brand Oyster Sauce has all the same qualities as our Premium Oyster Sauce, but with just a milder flavour. Some Australians prefer this which means you can use this everyday sauce a little more freely with just about anything and even incorporating it into certain Western dishes to provide a fusion twist to marinades, gravies and stocks.