Hoisin

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A thick, dark sauce of Chinese origin made primarily from fermented soybeans, garlic, vinegar, and sweeteners used as a glaze or dipping condiment
2. A savory and sweet condiment from East Asia featuring fermented soybeans, garlic, sugar, and vinegar, typically applied to enhance meats and stir-fries
3. A flavorful paste combining fermented soy, sweet elements, garlic, and vinegar that acts as a dipping sauce or cooking glaze in various Chinese dishes

Etymology: The name of this sauce is a puzzle, because the sauce contains no seafood at all. The word was borrowed from Cantonese, where "hoi2 sin1" (海鮮) literally means "seafood". The mismatch is the surprising part: a thick, dark condiment built on fermented soybeans, garlic, sugar and vinegar carries the name of the sea. The explanation lies in how the name was applied rather than in the ingredients. Cantonese "hoi sin" was the label for a seafood-based sauce, and the name was carried over to the soybean sauce that became familiar in the West, even though the two share no core recipe. The label stuck to the new product regardless of what was in it, so the word now names a sauce whose only link to the ocean is a mistaken or borrowed label.

Synonyms: plum sauce, sweet bean sauce