Oyster sauce is a condiment used primarily in Asian cuisines, including Chinese and Thai. It is also used as a marinade or as a dipping sauce for a range of dishes. It has a strong shellfish taste since oyster is its primary ingredient. At a glance, it may resemble soy sauce, but unlike it, oyster sauce is quite viscous.
What is oyster sauce made of?
Are there any oysters in oyster sauce? The answer is yes and no. While there are no actual oysters in it, the sauce is made from the water used to boil oysters. The liquid is cooked further to reduce it to a thick and viscous consistency. Cornstarch is added to thicken it and soy sauce to flavour it.
Oyster sauce vs
Oyster sauce is differs from
Oyster sauce vs hoisin sauce
Hoisin sauce is vegetarian and is made from fermented soybean paste. It can also include other ingredients like sweet potato, wheat, rice, sesame seeds, vinegar, chilli and garlic. Unlike oyster sauce, hoisin sauce is sweeter.
Does oyster sauce have any health benefits?
micronutrient and mineral rich: Going by its primary ingredient oyster alone, the sauce may be a good source of vitamin D, copper, zinc and manganese.
Good for brain health: It's also a good source of vitamin B12, which promotes brain health.
Could improve mood: Vitamin B12 may play a crucial role in mental health since its deficiency has been linked to depression and mood disorders.
May improve heart health: Oysters are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which reduces the chance of plaque accumulation, thereby reducing the risk of arteriosclerosis. Potassium and magnesium in oysters help in relaxing the blood vessels.
Nutritional Benefits of Oyster Sauce
Around 16 grams of oyster sauce has the following nutritional benefits
| Nutrient | Measurement |
| Calories | 8.2 |
| Sodium | 19 per cent |
| Carbohydrate | 1 percent |
| Calcium | 5.12 mg |
| Potassium | 8.6 mg |
| Iron | 0.03 mg |
Is oyster sauce healthy?
Since oyster sauce uses oyster stock as its base, it contains trace amounts of the actual micronutrients in oysters. So the benefits are quite farfetched.
Like most store-bought condiments and sauces, oyster sauce is also high in sodium. People with heart and kidney diseases or hypertension should ideally avoid it. A 16gm serving of oyster sauce has 19% of RDV of sodium, which can't be good news.
A British study once found dangerous amounts of a cancer-causing chemical compound 3-MCPD in many commercially prepared oyster sauce brands.
Oyster sauce replacement
If there's no oyster sauce in the house, you could always whip up an imitation by heating four teaspoons of soy sauce or teriyaki sauce, a cup of water, a teaspoon of corn flour and a pinch of msg.
Oyster sauce is not suitable for vegans and vegetarians since it contains animal products. Hoisin sauce could be used as a plant-based replacement. Barbeque sauce without honey can also be a close alternative.
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