Reading guide: Although oyster sauce and soy sauce are both common seasonings, they have different ranges of use and effects. For young people who love to cook, their cooking skills far exceed those of the older generation, and they are willing to try different spices, among which oyster sauce is a particularly popular one. However, oyster sauce and soy sauce are not the same and should not be added to dishes at will. In this article, we will introduce the "7 Don'ts" and hope that you can use oyster sauce correctly to prevent adverse effects on the taste of dishes and protect our health. The following is a detailed description and explanation of these seven aspects.
When stewing soups or stewed vegetables, we should not add oyster sauce too early. The reason is that boiling for too long will cause the umami flavor of the oyster sauce to evaporate. When the dish is about to rise, such as the last minute, is the best time to put in the oyster sauce. This not only preserves the umami flavor of the oyster sauce, but also allows the dish to retain its original aroma.
For making spicy dishes, such as spicy duck and diced spicy chicken, we usually use a lot of sesame pepper and dried chili peppers to add a spicy touch. And when making this kind of dish, never add oyster sauce, because the umami flavor of oyster sauce will suppress the special texture of spicy dishes, resulting in the spicy taste of the dish is not obvious. In addition, as spicy dishes are usually stir-fried or heated with hot oil, the addition of oyster sauce can make the dish bitter.
Before grilling meat, we usually marinate the ingredients to taste it in advance, so that the dishes are more flavorful and tasty. However, it is important not to add oyster sauce when marinating ingredients, as it will come into direct contact with an open flame, causing the oyster sauce to gelatinize during the grilling process, and the gelatinized oyster sauce is not only bitter, but also carcinogenic. It is also not recommended to add oyster sauce when grilling vegetarian dishes, as this will give the vegetables a bitter taste.
Seafood has its own umami, especially when mixed with multiple ingredients can make the dish more delicious. When cooking seafood, there is no need to use oyster sauce, as each ingredient has its own unique flavor profile. Moreover, oyster sauce is a concentrated freshness enhancer, and the addition of oyster sauce will suppress the aroma of seafood, resulting in a peculiar taste of the dish. Therefore, when making seafood dishes, it is best not to put oyster sauce.
Usually, after heating the oil, we add minced garlic and ginger to increase the flavor. Some people try stir-frying with oyster sauce at high temperatures to enhance the aroma of the oil. However, oyster sauce should never be boiled, as the high temperature will cause the oyster sauce to become mushy, and the mushy oyster sauce will not only have a bitter taste, but also become darker in color, making the dish bitter and black.
When making fried dishes such as crispy meat, meatballs, and fish pieces, do not add oyster sauce, because oyster sauce can be gelatinized when fried in oil for a long time, and the gelatinized oyster sauce not only has a significant bitter taste, but also produces carcinogens. For this type of dish, we can add more shallots, ginger and garlic to add flavor.
Oyster sauce also has a shelf life, which is generally 1 year. Oyster sauce that has passed its expiration date should never be used. In addition, after each use of oyster sauce, you should keep it away from fire, as prolonged exposure to high temperature will reduce the umami taste of oyster sauce, and some oyster sauce may even become moldy and spoiled. It is recommended to refrigerate the oyster sauce after use to maximize its umami flavor.
Although oyster sauce and soy sauce are both common seasonings, they have different uses and effects. When using oyster sauce, you should keep the above in mind"7. Don't let go"so as not to adversely affect the taste of the dish. At the same time, proper use of oyster sauce is also an important step in protecting our health. I hope this article can provide useful information for everyone, if it is helpful to you, please like and follow. Next, I will continue to share more cooking tips and health knowledge with you. Thanks for reading!