Vegetarian oyster sauce, vegetarian stir-fry sauce (素蚝油, su hao you)

素蚝油 | sù háo yóu

Used in vegetarian cooking in place of traditional oyster sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce has a dark, reddish tinge, slightly gel-like consistency, and rich umami flavor, derived from mushrooms. It’s salty and sweet, made with a combination of fermented soybean, wheat, salt, and yeast extracts.

I love adding vegetarian oyster sauce to dumpling and bun fillings, to braises and stir-fried vegetables. You can also eat it straight as a dip for dumplings, scallion pancakes, or pan-fried radish or taro cake.

What brand of vegetarian oyster sauce should I buy?

There are many different brands available in Asian supermarkets, sometimes labeled mushroom stir-fry sauce or vegetarian stir-fry sauce. The two most common are Lee Kum Lee 李錦記 (Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce), which is produced in China, and Wan Ja Shan 萬家香 (Vegetarian Mushroom Oyster Sauce), a product of Taiwan.

I prefer the Wan Ja Shan’s Vegetarian Mushroom Oyster Sauce (right), as it has the best ingredients.