How To Use Lee Kum Kee Bean Sauces In Your Asian Recipes

 The story of Lee Kum Kee begins in 1888 when legend has it that a restauranteur from the south of China named Mr. Lee Kum Sheung was boiling a pot of oyster soup. Something distracted him and he forgot all about it until the soup had been simmering for so long it had reduced down to a thick gravy. Fearing that he had wasted his ingredients he tasted it and discovered that he had in fact created an irresistible, delicious new flavour completely by accident. Enthused by this discovery he began to sell ‘Oyster Sauce’, eventually becoming the founder of Lee Kum Kee. With a culinary heritage reaching back for more than one hundred and thirty years, Lee Kum Kee has grown to become perhaps the best known and the most authentic Chinese sauce brand in the World with their range of sauces equally likely to be found in the kitchens of Michelin-starred Chinese restaurants and in your kitchen at home. ​

Take Lee Kum Kee Chilli Bean Sauce. Also known as the “Toban Djan”, this is a unique Sichuan style paste that will bring an authentic south western Chinese flavour to your dishes. Comprising a perfect blend of fermented soya bean paste, garlic and chilli pepper this vibrant and spicy sauce can be used to bring an eastern twist all of to your favourite recipes for an oriental twist.

Lee Kum Kee Chilli Bean Sauce

Lee Kum Kee Chilli Bean Sauce is also an absolutely essential ingredient for Kung Pao chicken.  Just chop some chicken breasts into half inch cubes and stir fry with some chopped onions, chopped red and green bell peppers, a little ginger and perhaps some chillies if you like it hot. Add your Lee Kum Kee chilli bean sauce, bring the whole thing to the simmer until everything is nice and glossy and serve over rice or noodles with a handful of chopped spring onions sprinkled over the top as a garnish. That is a tasty, flavoursome dish for two to four people that can be made from scratch in mere minutes, perfect when you want to try something new for a mid-week evening meal

The Lee Kum Kee Chilli Bean Sauce can be used to bring some authentic Sichuan flavour to any stir fry dish and can be a real lifesaver when you have little time but want to deliver some big flavours. Switch out the chicken for pork and you have a great way to use up a weekend roast, or cut the meat entirely and throw in some pak choi and tofu for a meat free meal in minutes. The only limit is your imagination.

Lee Kum Kee black bean sauce is perhaps one of the most popular sauces in the range. Made from only the finest fermented black beans you can use this distinct and flavoursome sauce over rice or noodles or to bring a Chinese twist to any number of dishes. It is not particularly authentic, but we have to say that the wonderfully funky spicy sweetness of Lee Kum Kee black bean sauce even works on chips for a fast and easy vegetarian flavour hit.

If you are more traditionally minded you might combine this glistening sauce with lean strips of stir fried beef, shredded chicken or diced pork. Some onion and bell pepper - we find that green works best here because its slight bitterness cuts through the sweet saltiness of the black beans – chopped into reasonably sized chunks with perhaps some water chestnuts thrown in for a bit of added crunch and freshness and you have the basis for another quick and easy meal that can bring a sense of the exotic to your mid-week, or replace the weekend take-away with food you have had the fun of preparing yourself. You can also choose to treat Lee Kum Kee black bean sauce as a ready-to-use marinade that you can add to any number of dishes to get a real eastern taste sensation with the minimum of effort and mess.

Lee Kum Kee black bean garlic sauce

For a tasty variation on a traditional black bean sauce Lee Kum Kee black bean garlic sauce makes the perfect addition to your store cupboard. Made with the same high quality fermented black beans you found in the regular Lee Kum Kee Black Bean Sauce but with added minced garlic in the mix, Lee Kum Kee Black Bean and Garlic sauce is the perfect ingredient for stir fried or steamed dishes. Savoury and aromatic, Lee Kum Kee black bean garlic sauce is a classic paste for making restaurant quality authentic Chinese dishes in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Truly, when you can open a jar and add sauces of this quality to your cooking the only limit is your imagination. Keep these versatile flavoursome sauces in your store cupboard and you are giving yourself the ability to produce incredible meals from scratch in next to no time. Be bold, experiment with ingredients and flavours. Will Lee Kum Kee Chilli Bean Sauce work with a good firm white fish such as MonkFish? Can Lee Kum Kee black bean sauce work with Halloumi Cheese? How about Lee Kum Kee black bean garlic sauce with a really good garlic sausage?

Are these pairings authentically Asian? Absolutely not. But the authentic pairings are well known and you can turn to them whenever you wish. Those traditional uses of Lee Kum Kee bean sauces are the bases to which we will always return. But another perfectly legitimate and fun use for Lee Kum Kee bean sauces is to give an Asian twist to whatever you happen to have in your fridge. So experiment. Pork meatballs in Lee Kum Kee black bean sauce? Why not? If Lee Kum Kee black bean garlic sauce works with strips of stir fried beef, why not try it with a beef steak?

In the end, when you have an ingredient of the high quality you can expect from a Lee Kum Kee sauce, you can be confident that whatever you choose to pair it with you will get a great result. Whether you choose to be authentically Asian, or you decide to take the “fusion food” route and match the authentic Asian flavours you can rely on Lee Kum Kee sauces to deliver with more western fare you can be sure that you will never be lacking flavour or quality.

So stock up your store cupboard with these outstanding sauces and give yourself the ability to turn whatever you have left over in the fridge into a mouth watering midweek miracle, or the ability to impress your friends and family with authentically traditional Chinese meals. In the end the answer to the question “how to use Lee Kum Kee bean sauces in Asian recipes” is “How do you want to use them?” The beauty of these versatile store cupboard staples is that they set you free as a home cook. Let Lee Kum Kee allow you to deliver great tasting, absolutely authentic Chinese food, or let them help you produce non-Chinese dishes with a Chinese twist.

It is your kitchen. You are in control. Lee Kum Kee is simply making your job easier.

You are welcome. Go cook!

Buy Lee Kum Kee Products Online in UK - HiYoU Supermarket

 There is something wonderfully enticing about Chinese cooking, from the rich condiments to the intensely flavoured spices that create aromatic dishes. If you have ever tried to cook Chinese dishes from scratch, you will know that they can be quite complicated, and they often require several different elements to make these delicious flavours. There is no need to be confused with Chinese cooking in this day and age, and here at HiYou Supermarket we stock a huge range of tasty ready-made sauces to make Chinese cooking simple and easy. We are going to look at some of our favourite Lee Kum Kee products that are kitchen heroes when it comes to making fresh, quick, and easy mid-week meals without the hassle.

Lee Kum Kee Chilli Bean Sauce

Lee Kum Kee Chili bean sauce is the kitchen go to for a quick and tasty meal. Sometimes known as Toban Djan, this sauce is a hot and savoury Chinese bean paste made from fermented broad beans, chili peppers, salt, flour, and soya beans. It is typically used in Sichuan cuisine and is an essential ingredient to the famous Kun Pao chicken. The Lee Kum Kee Chili Bean sauce mixes fermented soya bean paste with garlic and chilli pepper to give your dishes an oriental twist. Use it as a stand-alone ingredient or add to stir fries and vegetarian meals for a delicious and fiery twist! The Lee Kum Kee Chili bean sauce is suitable for vegetarians and vegans, so no one has to miss out, and contains no added preservatives or colouring.

Lee Kum Kee Teriyaki Sauce

The Lee Kum Kee Teryiaki Sauce is the perfect all-rounder for your kitchen cupboard – you can use it as a marinade for beef, chicken or seafood, use it as a base for other sauces or add to your stir fries for a midweek taste sensation! The Lee Kum Kee Teriyaki sauce is a beautiful combination of sweet and tangy spices, with a hint of salt thanks to the rich soy sauce base, it truly is a kitchen hero and one that you definitely need for your cupboards. Our favourite way of using the Lee Kum Kee Teriyaki sauce is to brush onto chicken, beef or vegetable kebabs and leave to marinade for at least an hour before oven cooking or grilling – you really can’t get an easier dinner!

Lee Kum Kee Black Bean Sauce

If you are looking for convenience and variety, then the Lee Kum Kee Black Bean sauce is the one for you. Made from finest fermented black beans, this sauce is primarily a marinade but can be added to sauces and stir fries for an oriental twist. You can also get the Black Bean sauce with added garlic for an added twist, and Lee Kum Kee also has a Black Bean stir fry sauce available – why not add them all to your kitchen cupboard weekly shop for more range and variety during the week? As with all of our sauces, Lee Kum Kee Black Bean sauce is suitable for vegetarians and vegans, and contains no added flavouring, preservatives or colourings – what more could you want?

Kitchen Staples for easy Chinese cooking

These Lee Kum Kee sauces are the perfect additions to your cupboards to ensure that you always have an amazing go to selection for when you want quick and easy meals. If you want to have a go at making your own Chinese sauces, then these are the kitchen staples that you need to have for your repertoire

1. Light Dark Soy Sauce

Light soy sauce is added to Chinese dishes for flavour and is traditionally made of fermented soya beans, brine, and roasted grains. It is saltier than dark soy sauce and adds a lighter flavour to your dishes.

2. Dark Soy Sauce

Where light soy sauce is added for flavour, dark soy sauce is often added for colour – and you will often see recipes calling for both light and dark soy sauce. Dark Soy sauce is often darker in colour and has a richer, less salty flavour that adds the delicious depth that Chinese cooking is often known for.

3. Chinese cooking wine

Often known as rice wine, Chinese cooking wine is used as a tenderiser in marinades and adds flavour to many oriental sauces and dishes. It is less acidic than other vinegars and has a mild and less sour flavour. Thanks to this, it is perfect for using with raw vegetables, in dipping sauces or to cut through the grease in certain dishes.

4. Hoisin Sauce

This thick, sweet, dark brown sauce is often used as a simple dipping sauce in Western culture, but Hoisin sauce is a very versatile ingredient. It can be used to marinate meat or add depth to sauces and dishes thanks to its slightly sweet taste, with just a hint of heat. The high sugar content makes it perfect for glazing meat before adding it to your dish, just remember to let it marinade for long enough to get all of those tasty flavours!

5. Sesame oil

Sesame oil is used as both a cooking oil and a flavouring in Chinese cooking thanks to its distinctly nutty taste and aroma. You don’t need a large amount to add beautiful flavours to marinades, dips and cooked dishes, and it’s low smoke point makes it one of the best oils to stir fry your veggies in to keep them crisp and fresh.

6. Oyster Sauce

Made from oyster extract and spices, and very often thickened with corn-starch and caramel, oyster sauce is naturally thick, dark, and rich. The syrupy texture clings well to food without having to be mixed with anything else, and is the perfect flavour enhancer for stir fries to get an authentic oriental taste.

7. Chili Paste

Traditionally made from chilli peppers, salt, and garlic, chilli paste makes the perfect base for many Chinese dishes. It adds simple heat to your cooking without altering the flavour too much, so you don’t get anything unwanted in your meals. It is great in meals that already have a complex flavour profile, and its serious spice factor is perfect for those who love a bit of heat!

8. Fish sauce

Unlike oyster sauce, fish sauce is a thin, extremely salty sauce made by fermenting fish – which isn’t as bad as it sounds! It is perfect for adding a rich, salty, slightly fishy taste to savoury dishes, and is often used instead of salt in Southeast Asian cooking. It works well in marinades, sauces and curries, but you need to make sure that you only add a small amount at a time so you don’t overpower your food.

If you have these staples in your cupboard then you will have the base dishes for many different Chinese meals – all you will need is the meat, rice or noodles and specific spices to get started!

Whether you want to experiment and try cooking authentic Chinese dishes yourself, or you want a quick and easy midweek meal we have everything that you will need. Here at HiYou, we stock a wide range of Lee Kum Kee sauces and all the kitchen staples that you need to have a go at cooking Chinese dishes from scratch – browse our entire range online now for some tasty meal ideas.