Chinese Garlic Sauce is a unique seasoning who plays a vital role in Chinese cuisine and plants everlasting memories in many diners’ minds.
Garlic, being planted in China over 2,000 years, has been enrolled as a member of seasonings crew in traditional kitchens since ancient times. In addition to the function of seasoning in cooking, garlic also has high medicinal value, who works on enhancing the immunity of humans and contributes a specific effort in preventing cold, cancer, and other diseases, even though I believe it was the delicious taste that matters and attracts people.
Coming with a hot and thrilling taste, fresh garlic seems to be unacceptable by many people. However, the Chinese have innovated garlic into a sauce and gave birth to unique delicacy by combining it with a variety of ingredients. There it goes, a refreshing feast on the taste buds is created.
A friend of mine just came back from overseas not long ago, and it has been quite some time since we last met. So we cannot wait to make a dinner reunion. During the dinner, he was very much insisting on ordering Prawn with Garlic Sauce and the Grilled Oyster (Grilled Oyster is usually served with garlic sauce in China), and he was nearly devouring them. Probably due to my surprised face, he started to talk. He said that he has never had any authentic Chinese Garlic Sauce for all these years since he left China. At last, he did not spare his appraisal on the dinner, “the best meal after his return,” said so by him. Chinese Garlic Sauce has always been the favorite flavor of him, which is believed to be the favorite of many others too.
Chinese Garlic Sauce is an easy-making sauce. It is novice-friendly and fast-mastered, even for those with zero Chinese cooking bases. Many “D.I.Y” elements are available in its cooking method, which offers a vast range of freedom and space of innovation according to personal taste. For example, a little bit extra chili or sugar, it is all up to you.
Chinese Garlic Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- Garlic
Seasoning
- Plant oil
- Sesame oil
- Salt
- Sugar
- Onions, shredded
- Stalk scallion, stalk part only, shredded.
- The five spices (1 piece of cinnamon, 2 pieces of anise, and 2 pieces of geranium.) They are not necessaries, but they do add fragrance to the Garlic Sauce.
Cooking steps
- Peel and wash the garlic and blend it thoroughly by an ingredient blender.
- Add plant oil into the stir-frying pan, then add onions, stalk scallions, and the five spices, stir-fry on a slow fire.
- Once the fragrance is smelled, the five spices shall be taken out from the pan firstly to avoid over-cooking, causing a bitter taste.
- Continue to stir-fry the remaining onions and stalk scallions in the pan until they are turning brown, which is the very time for an immediate fire-turn-off. Remove them from the pan.
- The chopped garlic is about to perform its shown after the removal of onions and stalk scallions. Bear the rule of slow fire and non-stop stirring in mind, as anything over cook would lead to bitter taste, and ruin the whole dish.
- Probably you would sniff the flattering smell of garlic in a while. Congratulations! That is the hint of success. It is about the time to add salt and sugar for seasoning, and some sesame oil to enrich the fragrance of the Chinese Garlic Sauce.
- Just another 10-20 seconds stir-frying after the seasoning session, to help them mix nicely. An utmost authentic Chinese Garlic Sauce is then ready in front of you!
P.S.: The Chinese Garlic Sauce recipe above-mentioned is only a basic version of its clan, which retains the original flavor of garlic, with only the pungent smell of fresh garlic is removed. Practically, it can be modified into diverse versions by different people. Spicy lovers may add chopped chili; sweetness lovers may add extra sugar; a sweet-sourness version is an option too, which requires the right combination proportion of sugar and vinegar. Besides, you may add some oyster sauce (or soy sauce) for flavor-enhancing, which contributes a Chinese Garlic Sauce with rich flavors even at the absence of the five spices. Wish you guys meet the exclusive flavors of your family while keep trying.
The Garlic Sauce in this picture is a red chili added version, which shows more attractive colors. The amount of chili is adjustable according to your taste. Just add the chopped red chili ( or green peppers) at step 5, and stir-fry together.
How to preserve the Chinese Garlic Sauce?
The cooked Chinese Garlic Sauce shall be bottled and sealed into a dry and clean glass bottle when it is cooled, under refrigerator storage, and ready to serve at any time. In this way, the fresh period can be extended to one month.
How to enjoy the Chinese Garlic Sauce?
There are millions of dishes seasoned with Chinese Garlic Sauce in China. Most of the stir-fried vegetables match well with garlic sauce, plus there are many famous garlic sauce seasoned dishes include Prawn with Garlic Sauce, Grilled Oyster with Garlic Sauce, Grilled Eggplants with Garlic Sauce, and Scallops with Garlic Sauce.
As a matter of fact, the Chinese Garlic Sauce is not restrained with the Chinese diet customary. It can be an add-on in any way you like as long as you are happy with the flavor. For instance, I often added the Chinese Garlic Sauce into fried rice, that is marvelous! It brings you to delicacy paradise too when it goes with soup noodles. The Chinese Garlic Sauce is appetizing! Give it a try, and you would enjoy it!
Popular Garlic Sauce Seasoned Dishes in China
Prawn with Garlic Sauce and Scallops with Garlic Sauce are two of the extremely welcomed garlic sauce seasoned dishes at Chinese banquets.
Grilled Oyster with Garlic Sauce and Grilled Eggplants with Garlic Sauce are both hot items of Chinese street BBQ.
