# World Sauces — Chinese Sauces

> Brad's reference for Chinese sauces — Sichuan chili oil, kung pao, char siu, sweet and sour, dumpling dipping sauce, sesame peanut, and more.

### Potsticker/Dumpling Dipping Sauce
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 8:2:1 soy sauce:black vinegar:chili oil
- **Instructions:** Mix all ingredients (plus optional garlic or ginger) in a bowl; no cooking needed.
- **Typical Uses:** Classic dipping sauce for steamed or fried dumplings and potstickers.

### Ginger‑Scallion Oil (Cantonese)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** ≈2:1 scallion:ginger (minced) + hot oil & salt
- **Instructions:** Pour very hot oil over minced ginger & scallion (or warm aromatics in oil); stir well and let infuse.
- **Typical Uses:** Raw aromatic sauce for poached chicken, noodles, tofu, or vegetables.

### Sichuan Chili Oil
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 8:1 oil:chili flakes (+ Sichuan pepper)
- **Instructions:** Heat oil to ~225 °F and pour over chili flakes & spices; steep, cool, strain.
- **Typical Uses:** Spicy condiment for noodles, dumplings, dips, and stir‑fries.

### Sweet & Sour Sauce
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 2:2:1 sugar:vinegar:ketchup (+ dash soy)
- **Instructions:** Simmer sugar, vinegar, ketchup (and soy) with water; thicken with cornstarch slurry until glossy.
- **Typical Uses:** Bright glaze or dip for fried pork, chicken, meatballs, spring rolls.

### Red‑Braised (Hong Shao) Sauce
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 2:1:1 Shaoxing wine:soy sauce:sugar (+ aromatics, star anise)
- **Instructions:** Combine wine, soy, sugar (caramelize if desired) with aromatics; use as braising liquid and reduce to glaze.
- **Typical Uses:** Braising sauce for pork belly, chicken, tofu, or eggs with glossy sweet‑savory finish.

### Kung Pao Sauce
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 2:1:1 light soy:black vinegar:sugar (+ Shaoxing, cornstarch)
- **Instructions:** Stir‑fry chilies, Sichuan pepper, aromatics; add premixed sauce and simmer to thick coat.
- **Typical Uses:** Stir‑fry sauce for Kung Pao chicken, shrimp, vegetables.

### Fish‑Fragrant (Yu Xiang) Sauce
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 4:2:1 sugar:black vinegar:light soy (+ water, doubanjiang)
- **Instructions:** Fry doubanjiang with garlic/ginger, pour in sauce mix, simmer 2–3 min to thicken slightly.
- **Typical Uses:** Garlicky sweet‑sour‑spicy sauce for eggplant, shredded pork, tofu.

### Char Siu BBQ Marinade
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 2:2:1 soy sauce:Hoisin sauce:honey (+ Shaoxing, 5‑spice, garlic)
- **Instructions:** Whisk all ingredients; marinate pork overnight, roast while basting with reserved sauce.
- **Typical Uses:** Marinade & glaze for Cantonese char siu roast pork; also ribs or fried‑rice pork.

### Sesame Peanut Sauce (Cold Noodles)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 4:2:2:1 sesame paste:light soy:black vinegar:sugar (+ chili oil, garlic)
- **Instructions:** Whisk ingredients until smooth; thin with water to dressing consistency.
- **Typical Uses:** Cold noodle dressing, dipping sauce for wontons, Bang‑Bang chicken salad.

### Chinese Hot Mustard Sauce
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 3:2 soy sauce:cider vinegar + dry mustard, sesame oil, sugar
- **Instructions:** Stir mustard powder with soy, vinegar, sesame oil & sugar; adjust water for thickness.
- **Typical Uses:** Fiery dipping sauce for egg rolls, spring rolls, fried wontons, BBQ ribs.

## Details

- **Category:** Cooking
- **Tags:** cooking, chinese, sauces, sichuan, chili-oil, kung-pao, char-siu, sweet-sour, dumpling, sesame-peanut, hong-shao

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