Chinese sauces?

jacflash · Joined: 17 Feb 2009 Posts: 18 Location: Massachusetts USA

I'm looking for good, authentic-tasting gluten-free renditions of the basic Chinese sauces -- black bean, hoisin, light and dark soy, etc. The Japanese tamaris just aren't the right thing. I understand there are a couple of Australian brands -- Chang's (not to be confused with PF Chang) is one -- that do good gluten-free Chinese sauces, but I haven't found anywhere online that ships them to the US. Help?

legoman666 · Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 22

http://www.recipezaar.com/Homemade-Hoisin-Sauce-312992 is pretty good. I used it to marinate some chicken and the result was delicious and tender.

cultureslayer · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 997 Location: NC

San-J makes gluten free sauces.

I didn't eat much Chinese food before going GF, so the lachoy work for me.
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cruelshoes · Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 3556 Location: Washington State

Dynasty Hoisin sauce was GF the last time I bought it.

We use LaChoy, Great Value, San-J wheat free or Bragg's Liquid Aminos for soy sauce.
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ostrich · Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 5101 Location: Nebraska

Have you tried a site like Allrecipes.com? Many of their recipes are easy to convert to GF, and you know exactly what's going into your food.
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cultureslayer · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 997 Location: NC

Bragg's doesn't taste like soy sauce. Crying or Very sad

It was all I could find while I was in Honolulu (no lachoy) and it made me sad. It's kinda close, better than nothing but IMO there are better options. I left my bottle at the place I interned at and they'd use it when they forgot to get packets of real soy sauce, but not if there were options.
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Lauren
Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.

jacflash · Joined: 17 Feb 2009 Posts: 18 Location: Massachusetts USA

San-J is adequate for sushi but really doesn't work in, say, a Mandarin sauce. I have made pseudo-Chinese soy sauces using mad cross-blends of San-J Organic Tamari and La Choy and assorted other things, but it's not great and I'd like to do better.

jeant · Joined: 06 Apr 2008 Posts: 290

I don't think I'll ever be ambitious enough to make my own soy sauce, but I think this description (with photos) is interesting. And it certainly explains why there is wheat in it.

jacflash · Joined: 17 Feb 2009 Posts: 18 Location: Massachusetts USA

jeant, thank you for that link. I will probably end up going that route -- I wonder how/if xanthan gum etc would work? -- and will post results if and when.

jacflash · Joined: 17 Feb 2009 Posts: 18 Location: Massachusetts USA

Following up: A foodie friend of mine pointed out that if one has both light and dark soy sauces, one can make bean and hoisin sauces. We discovered after some experimentation that 4 parts of the San-J GF Tamari mixed with 3 parts molasses makes a plausible Chinese-style dark soy sauce, and a little La Choy in the GF tamari gives it more of a Chinese note, making a passible light soy sauce. We're researching GF hoisin and bean sauce recipes now.

La Choy Soy Sauce is also an excellent substitute for (the very non-GF) Maggi Seasoning Sauce, FYI. It's less concentrated, but the flavor note is very similar.