Asian

Light (regular) soy sauce is thinner and saltier and is used for seasoning stir-fries, dips and marinades. Dark soy sauce is aged longer and often thickened with molasses, so it is less salty, slightly sweet and used mainly for colour in braises and fried rice. Mushroom-flavoured dark soy sauce, such as Lee Kum Kee’s, adds mushroom extract for extra savoury depth. Japanese-style soy sauce, such as Kikkoman, sits between the two and is the all-purpose table sauce for sushi and Japanese dishes.

No. Hoisin is a thick, sweet and tangy sauce made from fermented soybean paste, sugar, garlic and spices, used as a glaze and as a dipping sauce for spring rolls and Peking-style dishes. Oyster sauce is a savoury, less sweet sauce made from oyster extract, used to season stir-fried vegetables and noodles. Oyster sauce contains shellfish, which is a priority allergen in Canada, while hoisin does not, so the two are not interchangeable for allergy-conscious menus.

Cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez, is coconut cream sweetened with sugar, used for pina coladas and desserts. Coconut cream is unsweetened and thick, made from the first pressing of coconut flesh. Coconut milk is unsweetened and thinner, with more water, and is the base for curries and soups. Swapping sweetened cream of coconut into a curry will make it sweet, so check the label before cooking.

Pickled sushi ginger, called gari, is thinly sliced young ginger pickled in sweetened rice vinegar. Young ginger has pink-tipped stems that can turn the pickle naturally pale pink, and many commercial brands add colour for a consistent pink look; natural-colour versions are pale yellow. It is served to cleanse the palate between pieces of sushi. Opened pickled ginger keeps for several months refrigerated in its brine.

Regular soy sauce has about 900 to 1,000 mg of sodium per 15 mL tablespoon. Less-sodium soy sauces, such as Kikkoman Less Sodium, have roughly 35 to 40 percent less. Health Canada recommends most adults keep sodium to about 2,300 mg a day, so a single tablespoon of regular soy sauce is close to half of that. Offering a less-sodium option in dispensers and packets lets guests choose.

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