Condiments
Soy Sauce Hot Sauce Chili Paste Chili Paste 2
Dumpling / Rice Noodle Sauce Duck Sauce Mustard Hoisin Sauce
Soy sauce is ubiquitous in
Chinese cooking. It is an ingredient in many entrees, a condiment by itself, and
an ingredient in many other of these condiments. It is of such importance in
Asian cuisine that its qualities are almost the stuff of legend.
There are many varieties and 
brands.
I far prefer Kikkoman brand. It is
naturally brewed, and their "light" soy sauce is (unlike many
"lite" products) very delicate, well-made and pleasant. Avoid any
brand that does not have wheat and soybeans as the first ingredients listed
after the water, or at all! (That means you can forget Chun King and
French's).
I have also listed this in the
"ingredients" chapter, but it is a useful condiment if you like your
food hot. It is an essential garnish when serving Vietnamese pho. As a side
note, I enjoy it as a component of my quick-and-delicious barbecue 
sauce
and my baked beans.
Like the previous entry, this preparation of crushed fresh red chilis (with seeds) and garlic can be used to "heat up" your portion to your taste. Why are there so many different hot sauces listed here? Because, just as every fresh chili pepper has a somewhat different type of heat, every sauce has its own character, and its own way of mixing with other foods, and you may prefer one type to another.
Another preparation of crushed dried chilis (with seeds) plus dried shrimp and seasonings, also used to "heat up" your portion to your taste.
3 tablespoons Water
¼ cup Soy Sauce
¼" slice fresh Ginger, grated
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 Scallion, minced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Rice Vinegar
2 tablespoons Chili Paste With Garlic (see above)
2 tablespoons Sugar
Duck
Sauce
The sweet fruit sauce you get at the restaurant is sometimes mistakenly called
"plum sauce." It can be very simply and quickly prepared. I came up
with my own version, though it differs somewhat from the usual restaurant style.
Its high acidity makes it keep a very long time in the refrigerator.
1 can (about 15 ounces) Apricots
in Heavy Syrup (include syrup in recipe)
¼ cup Cider Vinegar
¼ teaspoon (or to taste) Five Spice Powder
¼ to ¾ cup Sugar
pinch of Salt
Cornstarch/Water mix to thicken
Puree the fruit in a food processor, then combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Thicken to taste with cornstarch/water mixture and cool to serve. How much cornstarch? How thick do you like it?
¼ cup dry Mustard powder (Colman's
is good)
¼cup cold Water
2-3 drops Salad Oil
Stir all ingredients together and allow to rest at least a few minutes before serving. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Some sources recommend mixing with flat beer instead of water.
Canned hoisin sauce in various brands is a coking ingredient and, thinned a little with water, makes a fine dipping sauce. It is also used to flavor pho.
In full strength, fish sauce comes in bottles and is a southeast Asian staple used much like soy sauce in Vietnamese cooking (though the flavor is very different.) When "fish sauce" is served as a condiment, like a dipping sauce for spring rolls, fish sauce is mixed with an equal volume of water, sweetened with sugar and flavored with a hint of chili paste with garlic (really, just a teensy dab!)
Fish Sauce Dip
1 cup Sugar
½ cup Water
½ cup Rice Vinegar
2 tablespoons Garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons Fish Sauce
1½ teaspoons Chili Paste
2 tablespoons Lime Juice
¼ cup Carrot, finely shredded or minced
Combine sugar, water and vinegar. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Stir
in garlic, fish sauce and chili sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes. Cool and add lime
juice and shredded carrot
Japanese horseradish
traditionally served with sushi, wasabi also makes a very good (if unfamiliar) condiment for dim sum. Wasabi powder should be (carefully) mixed with roughly an equal volume of water.
