About 150 years ago, no one had thought that a sauce that is going to be loved by everyone would be made accidentally. And the more interesting thing is that no one had even thought that this accidentally made sauce is going to rule the world of fast foods and traditional foods. The discussion is about the oyster sauce, which was first made at a tea stall whose owner used to sell cooked oysters and one day forgot to let them off the stove and knew about it when the smell of first-ever oyster sauce struck his nostrils.
From that day, it starts getting popular with every passing day. At the start, it was an iconic part of almost every seafood, but later its use became vast, and now it has become an important constituent of Asian foods as well. You can simply make them any time at your home or buy them from the market.
But if you don’t have it around you or are going on vacation or camping and felt the need for oyster sauce but failed to buy some due to its unavailability then it doesn’t mean that you are going to eat your food without it. Like most of the food ingredients and food items, replicas or replacements of oyster sauce are also available. You can simply use them in case of its unavailability.
Following are six replacements that can better fit in place of oyster sauce.
1. Soy Sauce
The first replacement that can suit this regard is soy sauce. It is usually believed that soy sauce is an all-purpose sauce and it’s true to some extent as well. Its taste is much similar to the oyster sauce and can be used in case of its unavailability. But its taste is saltier than the oyster sauce, so always use it in a low amount as compared to oyster sauce, otherwise, it’s going to ruin your food by giving it a bitter taste of salt.
2. Fish Sauce
Fish is a perfect choice for non-vegetarians to replace oyster sauce. But its taste is sharper and saltier than oyster sauce and it also didn’t have the typical sweet taste like the later one as well. So use it in half the amount in comparison to oyster sauce. If you want to add sauce just for flavoring and coloring then this is the thing you are looking for.
3. Hoisin Sauce
This Chinese-origin sauce is a component of many fast foods and traditional dishes as well. You can use it in place of oyster sauce by adding a little bit of water to it. The reason behind this is that it is more viscous and sweeter than the oyster sauce. Using it in a lower amount can also be the solution. However, if you don’t have any issue with its thickness, then you can use it as it is.
4. Black Bean Sauce
This sauce is difficult to make at home as you have to ferment the black beans for about half a year to make it. So try to buy it from the market, add a little bit of sugar to it, and use it as a replacement for oyster sauce. The tastes and textures of these two are quite alike.
5. Mushroom Sauce
If you are avoiding oyster sauce because you are a vegetarian, then this sauce is perfect for you. This hundred percent veg sauce uses mushrooms as its primary ingredients. Usually, this sauce comes in a salty and sweet taste making its tastes much similar to the oyster sauce but it does lack the typical smell.
Take mushroom sauce and add one or two spoons of the bean sauce and some brown sugar to give it a nice smell and sweet taste. Then add a little bit of water and cook for a few minutes. If you want to use it as a dipping sauce like ketchup, then you have to increase its consistency by adding corn starch.
6. Tamari Sauce
This Japanese sauce is similar to soy and can be used as a replacement for oyster sauce. It can be a better replacement as it already has a sweet taste so you don’t need to add any additional thing to it. Now get out of worries and use these replacements in place of oyster sauce.
