Hoisin sauce is the Chinese equivalent of barbecue sauce, used to flavor grilled and roasted meats. It is a sweet, savory and salty condiment made from fermented soybeans. Hoisin sauce can be difficult to find, but other substitutions will stand in for this complex condiment.
Barbecue Sauce Base Replacement
Make a homemade version of hoisin sauce from bottled barbecue sauce. Opt for a brand without added smoke flavor for the closest substitution for hoisin sauce. Mix 3/4 cup of barbecue sauce with 1/4 cup molasses, 2 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder and 4 tsp. dark miso. If you have access to the thick, brown, salty yeast extract condiment, use 4 tsp. of that instead of the miso in the recipe. Miso is available in Asian markets in the refrigerated foods section. It is a thick paste made from fermented soybeans and is used as a soup base and condiment. If you cannot find it, use 2 tsp. of soy sauce and 2 tsp. of nutritional yeast or 4 tsp. of soy sauce instead.
Prune-Based Replacement
Make a natural replacement for hoisin in a food processor. Using warm water for the puree will keep the prunes from sticking to the food processor blades. If you do not have dry sherry, use any cooking wine or unsweetened juice. The recipe has been adapted from the Cook's Thesaurus website. Puree together 1 cup warm water, 1/2 cup pitted prunes, 3/4 tbsp. soy sauce, 2 tsp. crushed garlic and 2 tsp. dry sherry.
Sweet Bean Paste
Taiwanese cooks use a sweet fermented soybean paste in recipes called sweet bean paste. This is similar to Chinese brown bean paste. Both of these condiments have a stronger flavor than hoisin. Decrease the amount of sweet bean paste by half, and taste the dish. Add more bean paste in small increments if a stronger flavor is desired.
Chee Hou Sauce
Chee hou sauce is an Asian condiment made from soybeans, ginger and garlic. Aside from the ginger, it has the same ingredients as hoisin sauce. Chee hou sauce has a spicier flavor. Use up to one half the amount of chee hou in your recipe and slowly increase it to taste.
Apple Butter
For the same viscosity and sweetness, replace the hoisin sauce in your recipe with an equal amount of apple butter. This replacement will not be as salty or garlicky. Add garlic powder to taste if you desire a more garlic-flavored dish, and soy sauce to taste for a more salty flavor.
Tags: bean paste, made from, barbecue sauce, Chee sauce, condiment made, condiment made from
