oyster sauce?

Dee140157

I know this is a totally daft question but do all makes of Oyster sauce actually come from oysters? The reason that I ask is that my oh is a strict vergetarian and we had lunch today in a noodle bar. One of the meals that appealed and was marked with the v for vegetarian was a mixture of noodles, vegetables etc served with an oyster sauce. At the time we wondered if this was actually a vegetarian dish then.

Rikki

Dee140157 wrote: »

I know this is a totally daft question but do all makes of Oyster sauce actually come from oysters? The reason that I ask is that my oh is a strict vergetarian and we had lunch today in a noodle bar. One of the meals that appealed and was marked with the v for vegetarian was a mixture of noodles, vegetables etc served with an oyster sauce. At the time we wondered if this was actually a vegetarian dish then.

On the sharwoods oyster sauce bottle it says 'contains oysters'.

siaoeh

if I'm not wrong, the premium Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce hasn't got any MSG and imho taste much better than the normal one. another brand that I like (after trying a few and comparing the ingredients lists) is Woh Hup.

There are vegetarian versions of oyster sauce, usually flavoured with extracts if mushrooms instead of extracts of oysters. They are actually quite tasty too! not sure what the noodle bar would use in a vegetarian dish though, might or might not be vegetarian 'oyster' sauce, why dun you ask them?

misskool

I have the premium Lee Kum Kee and it has E621 (MSG).

The vegetarian 'oyster' sauce is made from oyster mushrooms

Pretani

Vegetarian Oyster Flavored Sauce

siaoeh

misskool wrote: »

I have the premium Lee Kum Kee and it has E621 (MSG).

my apologies, haven't bought Lee Kum Kee for a while so I might be wrong though I'm fairly certain the premium LKK I used to use in Singapore (years ago) hasn't got MSG in it, hence the much higher price. maybe its a different version that's imported into UK (due to restrictions in seafood import laws?) or they've simply been cutting corners and using a lower % of oyster extract content hence the adding of msg to enhance the umami flavour?

I've been using a thai brand (Maekrua) for a while and as far as I can see on the label, it hasn't got MSG or E621 in it. not sure if its easy to get hold of though?

randomtask_2

I'm currently using the Treasure Brand of Oyster Sauce, bought from the See Woo chain of oriental supermarkets. No MSG in the ingredients list, though E202 preservative (potassium sorbate) is in it.