# World Sauces — Taiwanese Sauces

> Brad's reference for Taiwanese sauces — three-cup sauce, five-spice master stock, shacha (satay), sesame paste, Hakka tangerine sauce, and more.

### Thick Soy Sauce Paste (醬油膏)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 2:1:0.2 soy sauce:water:sugar + starch
- **Instructions:** Simmer soy sauce with water, sugar and starch until thick.
- **Typical Uses:** Dipping sauce (often with ginger) for cold meats; drizzle on snacks.

### Garlic Soy Sauce (蒜蓉醬)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 1:1 soy paste:water; dash rice wine & vinegar; sugar to taste
- **Instructions:** Simmer diluted soy paste with wine, vinegar, sugar; stir in minced garlic off heat.
- **Typical Uses:** Dip for blanched seafood & offal; great with duck.

### Five-Flavour Sauce (五味醬)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 1:1:1:1:1 white vinegar:black vinegar:soy paste:ketchup:sugar + aromatics
- **Instructions:** Mix all ingredients (with ginger, garlic, chili) well; no cooking.
- **Typical Uses:** Dip for boiled/steamed seafood like octopus or abalone.

### Haishan Sauce (海山醬)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 2:2:1:4 soy sauce:ketchup:sugar:water
- **Instructions:** Simmer soy, ketchup, sugar, water; add starch and cook till glossy.
- **Typical Uses:** Sauce for oyster omelette, ba-wan, tempura; base for sweet chili.

### Sweet Chili Sauce (甜辣醬)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 2:1:1 ketchup:chili sauce:sugar (miso optional)
- **Instructions:** Simmer ketchup, chili sauce, sugar (with miso) until slightly thick.
- **Typical Uses:** Sauce for fried snacks and cold cuts.

### Three-Cup Sauce (三杯醬)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 1:1:1 soy sauce:rice wine:sesame oil
- **Instructions:** Fry ginger in sesame oil, add garlic & sugar, then soy & wine; reduce.
- **Typical Uses:** Braising sauce for Three-Cup Chicken and similar dishes.

### Five-Spice Master Stock (滷汁)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 1:1:5 soy sauce:rice wine:water + sugar & spices
- **Instructions:** Boil soy, wine, water with sugar & spice bag; simmer meats/eggs.
- **Typical Uses:** Base for lu rou fan, soy-braised eggs, tofu, lu wei.

### Chili Sauce (辣椒醬)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 5:2 red chili:garlic; sugar & salt to taste
- **Instructions:** Blend chilies & garlic; simmer with oil, sugar, salt; cool.
- **Typical Uses:** Spicy condiment for dipping, noodles, stir-fries.

### Sesame Paste Sauce (麻醬)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 1:2 sesame paste:soy sauce; black vinegar 0.1, sugar 0.3
- **Instructions:** Whisk sesame paste with soy, vinegar, sugar, hot water until smooth.
- **Typical Uses:** Cold noodles dressing; dip for hotpot or vegetables.

### Satay (Shacha) Sauce (沙茶醬)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 4:1:1:1 oil:garlic:shallot:dried seafood + chili & spice
- **Instructions:** Slow-fry garlic, shallots, dried seafood with spices in oil; grind to paste.
- **Typical Uses:** Hotpot dip with soy & garlic; seasoning in stir-fries, broths.

### Hakka Tangerine Sauce (桔醬)
- **Ingredient Ratios:** 3:1 sour tangerine:kumquat:sugar
- **Instructions:** Simmer chopped citrus with sugar until jam-like; cool.
- **Typical Uses:** Dip for poached chicken, pork belly; drizzle on greens.

## Details

- **Category:** Cooking
- **Tags:** cooking, taiwanese, sauces, three-cup, five-spice, shacha, sesame-paste, haishan, hakka, chili-sauce, soy-paste

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