If you’re wondering, “is hoisin sauce vegan?” there are some things you should know. You may not realize it, but the sauce can contain a few different ingredients that are not vegan. Some of these ingredients include: Date paste, Date syrup, and fermented soybeans.
Date paste
When preparing a Hoisin sauce, dates should be pitted and allowed to soak in hot water for at least 15 minutes. After that, the dates should be pureed in a blender with two tablespoons of the soaking water. Most people discard the soaking water, but you can save it for the final sauce. In addition to dates, you can also add soaked raisins or dried plums, but make sure to reserve enough for a couple of tablespoons of the mixture.
The date paste adds a distinctly sweet flavor to hoisin sauce, without using sugar substitutes. It is a natural ingredient that is easy to make. Some brands of hoisin sauce also contain date syrup, which contains additional ingredients. Another option is maple syrup, which adds a sweet, fresh note, and is a good liquid sweetener.
Date syrup
Dates are an extremely nutritious ingredient, containing a wealth of antioxidants, manganese, copper, iron, and vitamin B6. They’re also a wonderful natural sweetener. You can use any kind of date to make date syrup, but medjool dates are the most commonly used variety.
To make this sauce, you’ll need 120 grams of pitted dates. Soak them in 100 ml of water. Once the dates are softened, blend them until a paste forms. Then use four tablespoons of the paste per serving. This paste can be frozen or stored for up to two weeks in the fridge.
Using a blender makes this sauce very easy to make. Simply blend the ingredients in a blender until smooth and thick. If the mixture is too thick, you can thin it by adding a few drops of water. If desired, you can also add a little bit more soy sauce, maple syrup, or rice vinegar. You can also increase the chili flavor by adding more to the mixture in increments.
Fermented soybeans
Fermented soybeans are the main ingredient in hoisin sauce, a Chinese barbecue sauce. Hoisin sauce also contains wheat flour and white distilled vinegar, and sometimes includes red chilli peppers. The sauce has a rich, smooth texture and has warming notes. It is widely used in Asian cuisine, including Vietnamese pho and pork-belly bao.
Fermented soybeans in hoisin sauce are similar in taste and texture to oyster sauce. Although it contains no actual oysters, hoisin sauce has the same taste and can be used interchangeably with oyster sauce. However, hoisin sauce is sweeter, while oyster sauce is saltier.
Fermented soybeans in hoisin sauce are used as a dipping sauce for spring rolls and in the liquid part of stir-fried noodles. It is also an excellent condiment for meats such as pork ribs, cha siu, and Peking duck. The sauce is a common Chinese condiment. It has a rich umami flavor and is also used to glaze or season meats.
