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Dark Soy Sauce

Commonly used in

Chinese cuisine

and

.

Recipes

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Dark soy sauce (lao chou) is a Chinese soy sauce that is aged longer and thickened with caramel or molasses. It is thicker, darker, sweeter and less salty than light soy sauce, and it is used mainly for colour and a gentle sweetness in red-braised pork, fried rice, chow mein and marinades, usually alongside light soy sauce.

Ingredients

Dark soy sauce is made from soybeans, wheat, salt and water, with caramel colour or molasses added. Mushroom dark soy sauce is a version flavoured with straw mushrooms. A little goes a long way, so don't swap it one for one for light soy.

Dark Soy Sauce

Sauces made with this

Mix one of these first, then cook with it.

Recipes using this ingredient

Moo Krob (Thai Crispy Pork Belly)

Moo Krob (Thai Crispy Pork Belly)

Deeply savoury pork belly with impossibly crackly skin, a Thai street food favourite done at home.

Beef Chow Fun (Dry-Fried Beef Hor Fun)

Beef Chow Fun (Dry-Fried Beef Hor Fun)

Smoky wide rice noodles tossed with tender beef and bean sprouts in a bold, wok-charred soy sauce.

Claypot Chicken Rice

Claypot Chicken Rice

Fragrant chicken and rice cooked together in a claypot until the bottom turns golden and crackly.

Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry

Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry

Tender strips of beef and crunchy capsicum in a punchy, glossy black pepper sauce, ready in 20 minutes.

Pad Woon Sen (Thai Glass Noodle Stir Fry)

Pad Woon Sen (Thai Glass Noodle Stir Fry)

A quick Thai stir fry of springy glass noodles with chicken, egg and crisp vegetables tossed in a savoury oyster and soy sauce.

Hot and Sour Soup

Hot and Sour Soup

A warming Chinese soup of mushrooms, tofu and bamboo shoots in a peppery, vinegar-tangy broth finished with silky egg ribbons.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Silky poached chicken with fragrant ginger rice cooked in the poaching broth, served with a punchy ginger-spring onion sauce.

Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)

Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)

Wide rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, holy basil, chilli and garlic. Spicier and bolder than pad see ew.

Scallion Oil Noodles (Cong You Mian)

Scallion Oil Noodles (Cong You Mian)

Chewy noodles dressed in deeply fragrant scallion oil and soy sauce. The simplest Chinese noodle dish — and one of the best.

Quanzhou Ginger Duck (姜母鸭)

Quanzhou Ginger Duck (姜母鸭)

Slow-braised duck with ginger, sesame oil, and soy — rich, warming, and deeply savoury.

Soy-Brined Roast Chicken (Asian Style)

Soy-Brined Roast Chicken (Asian Style)

Whole roast chicken brined in soy, spices and aromatics for maximum flavour.

Pad Kra Pao

A fragrant Thai stir-fry featuring minced meat, holy basil, and a bold, spicy sauce.

Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

This iconic dish has simple yet lip-smackingly-good flavours, down to the harmony of Oyster sauce and tender beef. You'll prepare and cook this quicker than a takeaway, so add this to your repertoire now.

Chinese Fried Rice

Chinese Fried Rice

Don't expect to nail this first time, it takes a few tries to get it perfect. You can expect a flavour sensation every time though, and soon you'll be ready to take on Uncle Roger.

Rad Na (Thai Gravy Noodles)

Rad Na (Thai Gravy Noodles)

Wide rice noodles charred in the wok then smothered in a silky pork and gai lan gravy.

Chicken Lo Mein

Chicken Lo Mein

Soft egg noodles tossed with tender chicken, crisp vegetables and a glossy savoury sauce in 25 minutes.

Hong Kong Style Crispy Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

Hong Kong Style Crispy Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

A golden pan-fried egg noodle cake topped with saucy chicken and crisp vegetables, ready in 35 minutes.

Slow Cooker Soy Braised Chicken, See Yau Gai

Slow Cooker Soy Braised Chicken, See Yau Gai

Cantonese soy braised chicken cooked low and slow with ginger and star anise, served over jasmine rice.

Garlic Soy Egg Noodles

Garlic Soy Egg Noodles

Ten-minute pantry noodles with sizzled garlic, soy, spring onion and chilli oil.

Egg Foo Young

Egg Foo Young

Fluffy Chinese-style omelette patties under a glossy brown gravy — old-school takeaway comfort food.

Ants Climbing a Tree

20-Minute Pantry Meals

Ants Climbing a Tree

Glass noodles simmered in a spicy pork sauce until they drink up every drop. Twenty minutes, one wok.

Hong Shao Rou (Chinese Red Braised Pork Belly)

Hong Shao Rou (Chinese Red Braised Pork Belly)

Pork belly caramelised in sugar then slow-braised in soy and spices until the fat melts and the sauce turns to lacquer.

Shi Zi Tou (Lion's Head Meatballs)

Shi Zi Tou (Lion's Head Meatballs)

Four oversized pork meatballs braised slowly on a bed of Chinese cabbage in a clear, savoury broth.

Chinese Garlic Chicken with Cashews

Chinese Garlic Chicken with Cashews

Chinese takeaway-style chicken with toasted cashews and lots of garlic in a savoury oyster and soy sauce. Ready in 25 minutes.

Chinese Soy Sauce Noodles (Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chow Mein)

Chinese Soy Sauce Noodles (Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chow Mein)

Hong Kong-style pan-fried egg noodles with bean sprouts and spring onion, tossed in a sweet, savoury soy sauce. Ready in 15 minutes.

Coca-Cola Chicken Wings (Ke Le Ji Chi)

Coca-Cola Chicken Wings (Ke Le Ji Chi)

Chicken wings braised in Coca-Cola and soy sauce until sticky, glossy and caramelised. A cult Chinese home-cooking favourite made in one pan.

Hokkien Noodles with Chicken

Hokkien Noodles with Chicken

Thick, chewy hokkien noodles tossed with chicken, cabbage and a glossy oyster and dark soy sauce. The Aussie takeaway classic in 25 minutes.

Shanghai Fried Noodles (Cu Chao Mian)

Shanghai Fried Noodles (Cu Chao Mian)

Thick, chewy noodles stir-fried with pork, cabbage and a dark soy and oyster sauce glaze. A dumpling-house favourite in 20 minutes.

15-Minute Instant Ramen Stir Fry

20-Minute Pantry Meals

15-Minute Instant Ramen Stir Fry

Packet ramen noodles stir-fried with egg, vegetables and a savoury oyster sauce and soy glaze. The viral pantry hack in 15 minutes.

Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice)

Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice)

Small pieces of pork belly slowly braised with fried shallots, soy sauce and five spice until glossy and rich, spooned over hot rice with soy-braised eggs. Taiwan's favourite comfort food.

Cheung Fun (Prawn Rice Noodle Rolls)

Cheung Fun (Prawn Rice Noodle Rolls)

Silky, slippery Cantonese steamed rice noodle rolls wrapped around prawns and drenched in a sweet soy sauce. A yum cha favourite made at home with a simple rice flour batter and a tray.

Khao Kha Moo (Thai Braised Pork Leg on Rice)

Khao Kha Moo (Thai Braised Pork Leg on Rice)

Pork hock slow-braised in a five-spice, palm sugar and soy broth until falling apart, served over jasmine rice with braised eggs, greens and a sharp chilli vinegar.

Kai Palo (Thai Five Spice Egg and Pork Stew)

Kai Palo (Thai Five Spice Egg and Pork Stew)

Boiled eggs and pork belly slowly braised in a sweet, dark five spice broth with garlic, coriander root and palm sugar. Thai-Chinese comfort food with rice.

Other glossary terms

Lao Gan Ma (Chinese Chilli Oil)

Japchae Sauce (Korean Glass Noodle Sauce)

Yangnyeom Sauce (Korean Sweet and Spicy Sauce)

Goma Dare (Japanese Sesame Sauce)

Qi Zi (Dried Goji Berries)

Ikan Bilis (Dried Anchovies)

Candlenuts (Kemiri)

Wood Ear Mushrooms

Mung Bean Glass Noodles (Woon Sen)

Perilla Leaves (Kkaennip)

Fermented Red Bean Curd (Nam Yu)

MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)

Sichuan Peppercorn

Katsuobushi (Japanese Bonito Flakes)

Five Spice Powder

Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

Doenjang (Korean Fermented Soybean Paste)

Tamari (Japanese Gluten-Free Soy Sauce)

Yuzu Kosho (Japanese Citrus Chilli Paste)

Ponzu Sauce (Japanese Citrus Soy Sauce)

Furikake (Japanese Rice Seasoning)

Doubanjiang (Sichuan Chilli Bean Paste)

Kecap Manis (Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce)

Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese Seven Spice)

Soba Noodles (Buckwheat Noodles)

Sake (Japanese Rice Wine)

Dangmyeon (Korean Sweet Potato Glass Noodles)

Crispy fried shallots

Rice Noodles (Rice Vermicelli and Rice Sticks)

Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs)

Mentsuyu (Noodle Soup Base)

Mirin (Japanese Sweet Rice Wine)

Light Soy Sauce

Kewpie Mayonnaise

Korean spicy dipping sauce (Ssamjang: 쌈장)

Shrimp Paste (Terasi, Belacan, Kapi)

Dashi (Japanese Soup Stock)

Korean black bean paste sauce (Chunjang: 춘장)

Chinkiang Black Vinegar (Chinese Black Vinegar)

Adzuki Red Bean

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