06May

Is Oyster Sauce Vegan?

Summary

Oyster sauce is not vegan because it is made from caramelized oysters. It is a popular salty seasoning used in Asian cooking especially in stir fries.This gives a rich savory flavour to dishes that many people enjoy. Because oyster sauce is made from an animal it is not vegan.

Digging deeper

Oyster sauce is made by boiling oysters for a very long time until they caramelize, while adding sugar, salt and cornstarch to thicken it. While it seems obvious that eating oysters is not vegan, there is a small amount of debate (usually outside the vegan community) that oysters could be vegan, because there is some debate over whether oysters feel pain.

Some people are actually surprised that oyster sauce is not vegan, as they didn’t actually know that oysters might be in oyster sauce. This might be for the same reason that many don’t realize that Clamato (very popular in Canada) has clams in it. And to be honest, I was actually one of those people that was surprised that oyster sauce isn’t vegan!

Because oyster sauce is a seasoning ingredient used in small quantities, it is not always apparent if it’s been added to an advertised “vegan dish” at an Asian restaurant. They may sometimes add this ingredient without really thinking that it affects its vegan label.

For this reason, it might be prudent to double check at Asian restaurants, and if indeed they are adding oyster sauce, ask them to substitute with alternatives like Hoisin or perhaps more soy sauce.

The Good News

There are lots of vegan alternatives to oyster sauce.

Vegetarian oyster sauce: There are specialty products that are widely available to replace oyster sauce. Usually made from oyster or shiitake mushrooms. The flavor of mushroom helps to replicate the savory or umami flavor of oyster sauce. You can find these ‘vegetarian oyster sauces’ that are also vegan in vegan grocery stores, in Asian grocery stores and in the Asian section of the supermarket.
Sweet soy sauce (ketchup manis) has a similar consistency and a good umami flavor
Soy sauce has a good umami flavor, but lacks the consistency of oyster sauce.
Hoisin sauce is made from fermented soy, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, chiles, and sweetener which gives it a umami punch and a good consistency.
There are many recipes for making your own oyster sauce from mushrooms that you can find online.

Be Aware

If you are travelling in Asia, make sure that you have the words for oyster sauce and ask the wait staff to tell the chef to NOT use any oyster sauce.
Dishes that look like they might be vegan (like stir-fried Chinese broccoli), might actually be smothered in oyster sauce.
Steamed vegetables are often garnished with oyster sauce just before serving and even on the plate like one might use Sriracha sauce.
Tofu is often flavored with oyster sauce by Asian chefs.
Unless a menu item is marked as being vegetarian or vegan, you might like to double check if there is any oyster sauce in the dish.

How is oyster sauce used?

Oysters sauce is often used in Asian stir fries to give a great depth of flavor.
Interestingly, oyster sauce is often used as stir fried Chinese broccoli and tofu. A dish that looks like it should be vegan might not be!
You can substitute oyster sauce in recipes with any of our recommendations above.

Our favorite oyster sauce alternatives

Overall takeaways

Oyster sauce is not vegan.
It can be hard to spot if oyster sauce is in Asian dishes as it can be used as a seasoning.
There are lots of replacements for oyster sauce that be used in cooking.
When traveling, write down the local word for oyster sauce so you can communicate with the wait staff/chef.