Last updated on August 26th, 2024 at 06:37 am
Yuxiang sauce is a sweet, sour, salty and spicy sauce which goes well with vegetable and meat dishes. This homemade sauce is flavorful, easy to make and ready in 5 minutes.
Yuxiang in Chinese means fish fragrance but this sauce does not have fish. I could not believe it myself.
The fragrance is from the sauce and seasoning used to cook fish.
The story of the sauce is best described and told by Chinese bloggers such as Omnivore’s Cookbook, Made with Lau, The Woks of Life and China Sichuan Food.
The first time I tried a Yuxiang-flavored dish was in Beijing.
I wondered why it was called that but my Chinese was not good enough to enquire until a few years into living in China that I knew about the flavor profile of Sichuan cuisine and the stories about why it was called fish flavor.
There are a variety of recipes for this sauce but there are common ingredients: soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cooking wine, and fermented spicy bean paste.
The combination of flavors will result in a well-balanced flavoring for stir-fried vegetables, chicken pork, fish, tofu, and works well as a dipping sauce for fried dishes.
Homemade Yuxiang sauce
This Yuxiang sauce is kept in a jar when made ready to be stirred before being poured into a vegetable or protein stir-fry as a flavoring.
It is not a Filipino sauce but a Chinese one to mix things up a bit and help my daughter try different flavors.
I frequently reach for this sauce when an aubergine is on sale at the supermarket.
My daughter who has tried her first Yuxiang qiezi recently recognised the flavor when I made a similar one the best I could.
My husband who barely touches aubergines approved of it too. This sauce is a winner so let’s make it.
Ingredients and substitutions
Light soy sauce – this is regular soy sauce
Dark soy sauce – this in addition to the light soy sauce
Doubanjiang – a spicy chili bean paste from Sichuan, China, a key ingredient in Sichuan dishes such as kung pao chicken, yuxiang rousi, mapo tofu and many more. Some recipes call for pickled peppers which is harder to find in the West, other recipes use doubanjiang like this recipe which also works
Muscovado sugar – any types of sugars will work, white, brown
Oyster sauce – use gluten-free or other substitutes if unable to eat oysters
Chinkiang vinegar – substitute with rice vinegar or cider vinegar but keep in mind the acidity level
Shaoxing wine – use a non-alcohol substitute if you cannot consume alcohol or use sake, sherry or stock
Warm water – use warm water to help dissolve the cornflour
Cornflour or cornstarch – used to thicken the sauce
How to make Yuxiang sauce?
Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Whisk or mix until well combined. That is ready to be used straight-away as a stir-fry sauce. If using as a dipping sauce, heat a pan, pour the prepared sauce, cook on slow fire until the sauce is thickened, and check that the cornflour is cooked.
What does Yuxiang sauce taste like?
It has sweet, sour, salty and spicy notes, rich in umami which is unique to Chinese Sichuan dishes.
What does Yuxiang mean in English?
Yu in Chinese means fish and xiang means fragrance or aroma which translates to fish fragrance or fish aroma.
Although it bears fish on the name it does not have fish in the ingredient list, apparently the traditional recipe calls for chillies that were fermented with crucian carp for a deep fish flavor.
Storage
Keep in an airtight jar. Store in a cool place. Stir to combine well before use.
Looking for inspiration or want to try more homecooked meals?
Why not try more sauces like Sweet and Sour Sauce, Easy Teriyaki Sauce or a Tonaktsu Sauce for your next Asian adventure in the kitchen?
Are you hungry for more? Browse for more to inspire you. Head to Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for more updates on countryside life and beyond.
Let’s get cooking!
EASY YUXIANG SAUCE
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 spoon or whisk for stirring or mixing
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce use gluten-free if needed
- 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce use gluten-free substitute if needed
- 1/2 tbsp doubanjiang
- 1 1/2 tbsp muscovado sugar substitute with white or brown sugar
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce use oyster substitute
- 2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar use rice or cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine substitute with sherry, sake, stock or non-alcohol substitute
- 4 tbsp warm water
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch or conrflour
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Whisk or mix until well combined
Video
Notes
- Use straight-away as stir-fry sauce.
- If using as a dipping sauce, heat a pan, pour the prepared sauce, cook on slow fire until the sauce is thickened, and check that the cornflour is cooked.
English