Kwong Hung Seng Sauce

If you’re a Thai-food lover like me, chances are high that you’re also obsessed with their sauces. I collect their sauces whenever I get the chance to visit Thailand. But it is not always possible. You can not just jump on a plane and go over there for a sauce. Even though it’s difficult to find those exact bottles at the grocery store. To avoid all of this, I started learning how to make these sauces at home. Kwong Hung Seng sauce is one of them. 

So, in this article, I’ll tell you about this sauce in detail and how anyone with zero cooking knowledge can make this condiment easily. 

What Is Kwong Hung Seng Sauce?

The Kwong Hung Seng is actually a renowned Thai brand that has been around for generations. Their sauces are different from others; they’re way thicker and darker than the regular soy sauce. 

Kwong Hung Seng sauce is a famous fermented soybean sauce. Thai street vendors of Thailand mostly use this sauce to flavor different types of dishes. 

How To Make Kwong Hung Sauce At Home?

If you love cooking Thai food at home, this is one sauce you’ll want in your pantry, or better yet, learn how to make a version of it yourself, which we’re about to do. So, let’s make it. 

Ingredients You’ll Need 

Dark Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce. You can say it’s the main ingredients here for that bold, rich dark color. It’s not like regular soy sauce; it’s thicker and more intense, which is exactly what we want here for this sauce.

Light Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon of light soy sauce. It helps keep the dark soy from overpowering the whole thing. 

Oyster Sauce

1 tablespoon of oyster sauce.  It brings this velvety smoothness to the sauce.

Fish Sauce (Totally Optional, But Recommended)

If you’ve got fish sauce lying around, use about a teaspoon. It adds that funky umami punch that makes Thai food so addictive.

White Miso Paste

1 teaspoon of white miso paste. It gives your sauce that fermented depth that usually takes months to develop. I swear, it makes everything taste like it’s been aging in a wooden barrel somewhere in Bangkok.

Brown Sugar or Palm Sugar

1 teaspoon of brown sugar (or palm sugar if you have it). It doesn’t make it sweet; it just smooths everything over.

Molasses

1/2 teaspoon of molasses goes a long way. It gives the sauce body and a deep, earthy flavor. If you’ve ever had a sauce that tasted “older” in the best way, this is that flavor note.

Garlic

Use one small clove, finely minced, or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder if you’re in a rush. 

Water

Use about a tablespoon of water just to loosen things up. 

Rice Vinegar or Lime Juice (Optional)

If you’re planning to use this in a stir-fry, a little splash of rice vinegar or lime juice can really brighten things up.

Make it with simple steps.

Step 1

First, ready your kitchen equipment. Grab just a bowl and a whisk. 

Step 2

Now, pour the listed ingredients into the bowl.

Step 3

Give them a good whisk, thus everything is mixed up firmly. 

Step 4

Now your Kwong Hung Seng Sauce is ready to jump into your food.

Serving Suggestion

• As a drizzle: If it’s about using this sauce, then I must say, it is mostly used as a drizzle. Thai people pour it over hot jasmine rice, fried eggs, or grilled vegetables. It gives everything a deep, savory kick.
• As a dip: wondering how a marinated sauce can be used as a dip? It can be, just follow my recipe. 

Take 1 tablespoon Kwong Hung Seng homemade-style sauce + 1 teaspoon lime juice + 1 pinch sugar + minced chili = a fantastic dipping sauce for Thai omelets or grilled meat. Try it. 

• As a stir-fry base: Throw a spoonful of Kwong Hung Seng sauce into your wok with noodles, chicken, or vegetables. It clings beautifully and gives your dish that Thai street-food flavor.
• As a marinade: Mix it with a little garlic and oil, then marinate beef, chicken, or shrimp for 30 minutes before grilling or pan-searing. It works as an instant flavor booster.
• As a finishing touch: Add a quick splash to soups, brothy noodles, or even fried rice right before serving. It brings out all the umami without overpowering. You won’t regret doing this. 

Pro Tips

1. Let it sit for 15 minutes after making this sauce. It helps to dissolve things better and enhance flavour.
2. Taste it before using fish sauce or salt. Because the other sauces already have salt in them. 
3. It is important to know, if you’re planning to heat the sauce for using as a drizzle, please keep the heat lower, otherwise it can burn sugar or miso. And it ended on a bitter note. 
4. Keep the leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge; it can last up to 2 weeks. 
5. Do not use it in large amounts at one time. Add little by little.

Final Thought

So, if you ever crave Thai street food, I hope this recipe will help you. Nothing rocket science, but an amazing outcome. Simple ingredients, but a bold sauce full of umami taste and crazy versatility. No matter what you’re cooking, stir-frying noodles, marinating chicken, or just rice, drizzle it over anything. 

Every Thai food lover should make this at least once. I bet you’ll make it again and again. 

FAQs

What is Kwong Hung Seng Sauce Used for?

Kwong Hung Seng sauce is a seasoning sauce, mostly used in stir-fry, marinades, noodle dishes, or Thai-style omelets.  You’ll often find it as a base of pad see ew, pad pak boon, or anything that needs a salty, umami punch. 

How Does Kwong Hung Seng Sauce Taste?

It tastes salty, rich, and full of umami-flavoured sauce. The flavour is deeper and complex. It has that funk, in a good way, of course, that feels like fish sauce or fermented bean paste. 

Is Kwong Hung Seng Sauce Gluten-free?

Normally, no. It’s not gluten-free. As Kwong Hung Seng sauce is made with fermented soybeans and wheat, it means it contains gluten. However, if you’re making a homemade version, you can easily swap in gluten-free soy sauce or tamari to make it gluten-free. 

How to Cook With Kwong Hung Seng Sauce?

Cooking with Kwong Hung sauce is easy and simple. This is something like soy sauce. You can stir it into noodles, mix it into marinades. Also, with a little bit of twist, you can use it as a dipping sauce.