Made in Hong Kong: the history of Lee Kum Kee’s oyster sauce – so good it is served in space
Launched 130 years ago in Guangdong, Lee Kum Kee’s products are now popular across the globe
Judging by its ubiquity – from the dark, glossy drizzle against the bright green of blanched vegetables to the deep, funky flavour it adds to marinades and stir-fries – it might seem as though oyster sauce has been part of Chinese food forever. In fact, it’s a relatively recent invention, dating back only to the late 19th century.
Lee Kum Sheung, the founder of Lee Kum Kee, is said to have made the first oyster sauce by accident. Francis Chan, Lee Kum Kee’s chief sales and marketing officer, says, “In 1888, Lee Kum Sheung operated a small teahouse in Nanshui, Zhuhai, Guangdong province, and served cooked oysters to local villagers.
“One day, he was cooking oysters in his teahouse, but he was so busy he forgot to extinguish the fire in the stove. When he smelled a strong aroma from the kitchen, he rushed back [to the stove] fearing that the oyster was overcooked. However, what he found was a thick layer of dark brown paste on the wok with a fabulous taste – this was the birth of the oyster sauce.”
But what is oyster sauce exactly? It is dark, sweet and full of umami, but which part of the oyster does it come from? The sauce is made from a reduction of oyster poaching liquid that is then simmered with seasonings and thickener.
