中式调味料 · Chinese Vocabulary
Seasonings in Chinese
调味料
Behind every good Chinese dish is a shelf of small bottles and jars. This guide walks through the sauces, oils, and pantry basics that show up again and again — what each one actually tastes like, and which ones people mix up.
Where the flavor comes from
酱料与酱汁 — Sauces & Pastes
Bottled and jarred sauces are what give Chinese cooking most of its depth — soy sauce alone covers several different jobs in the kitchen.
- Thinner, saltier, lighter in color
- For everyday seasoning
- Won’t darken the dish
- Thicker, slightly sweet, deep color
- For braising & marinating
- Adds color more than saltiness
蚝油
Oyster Sauce
The umami of oysters, reduced into a thick, glossy, faintly sweet sauce. A staple in Cantonese cooking — stir-fried vegetables, seafood, and just about any quick stir-fry.
沙茶酱
Shacha Sauce
A complex, savory paste built on dried shrimp and fish, with a mild heat behind it. Especially popular in Taiwan — the go-to dipping sauce for hot pot and barbecued meat.
XO酱
XO Sauce
A luxury seafood condiment from Hong Kong, built on dried scallops, dried shrimp, chili, and garlic — deeply umami with a spicy edge.
Did you know?
The “XO” borrows its name from XO-grade cognac — the highest, most expensive tier — used here as shorthand for “premium.” There’s no actual brandy in the sauce.
鱼露
Fish Sauce
A salty, savory liquid made from fermented small fish or anchovies — used sparingly, it deepens the umami of a dish without tasting fishy.
豆瓣酱
Soybean Paste (Chili Bean Paste)
A fermented broad bean and chili paste — the backbone of Sichuan cooking. This is what gives Mapo Tofu and Kung Pao Chicken their savory, spicy depth.
麻酱
Sesame Paste
A thick, nutty sesame paste, close cousin to tahini — whisked into cold noodle sauces and hot pot dips.
A little goes a long way
油 — Oils
Sesame oil alone has three different names in Chinese depending on how toasted it is — worth knowing before a recipe leaves you guessing.
红油
Chili Oil
Hot oil infused with chili flakes and aromatics — the finishing touch on Sichuan dishes, dumplings, and noodles that need one more layer of heat.
The everyday four
基本调味料 — Pantry Basics
Salt, sugar, vinegar, and wine — simple on their own, but each one splits into a few variants worth knowing by name.
盐 · Salt
糖 · Sugar
FYI
Black sugar pearl milk tea — 黑糖珍珠奶茶 hēitáng zhēnzhū nǎichá — owes its deep caramel flavor to 黑糖. It’s become one of Taiwan’s signature drink exports.
醋 · Vinegar
料酒 · Cooking Wine
