This is a list of notable Chinese sauces, encompassing sauces that originated in China or are widely used as cooking ingredients or condiments in Chinese cuisines.
Chinese sauces
These sauces are commonly used as ingredients for dishes in many Chinese cuisines. There may also be regional variations on the sauces, such as seasoned soy sauce or fermented bean curd.
Light soy sauce (生抽) – a lighter-colored salty-flavored sauce used for seasoning
Dark soy sauce (老抽) – a darker-colored sauce used for color
Seasoned soy sauce – usually light soy sauce seasoned with herbs, spices, sugar, or other sauces
Fermented bean curd (腐乳) – usually cubes of tofu, and sometimes other spices and seasonings, which are used as a condiment or marinade along with some of the brine
Douchi (豆豉) – fermented black beans, usually in a brine
Shao Kao sauce (烧烤酱, Cantonese: Siu Haau) – a thick, savory, slightly spicy BBQ sauce generally known as the primary barbecue sauce used within Chinese and Cantonese cuisine.
Shacha sauce (沙茶酱) – A sauce or paste that is used as a base for soups, hotpot, as a rub, stir fry seasoning and as a component for dipping sauces.
Doubanjiang (豆瓣酱) – a mix of fermented beans, chilis, salt, and flour used for flavor and color
Chili oil (红油) – usually made by pouring hot oil that's been seasoned with spices onto ground chili flakes and left to steep
Notable exceptions
While Doubanjiang can be considered the "mother sauce" of Sichuan cuisine, there are some prominent flavors in modern Sichuan cooking that are often referenced as sauces but are composed of other ingredients and sauces during cooking. These include:
^Vos, Heidemarie (2010). Passion of a Foodie. p. 591. ISBN 978-1-934925-63-8.
^Spice cream: Try a Lao Gan Ma chili sauce sundae|Society|News|WantChinaTimes.com Archived 2014-08-09 at the Wayback Machine
^The illiterate woman behind the Laoganma chili sauce excelene salsaempire|Economy|People|WantChinaTimes.com Archived 2014-08-09 at the Wayback Machine