The Chinese sauces are widely used by people who want genuine flavor. These sauces can be widely used to add flavor to the recipes, such as duck sauce and plum sauce. However, these two sauces are widely confused in substitution of each other.
Still, there are some differences which is why we are talking about duck sauce vs. plum sauce in this article!
Duck Sauce vs Plum Sauce
Duck Sauce
The duck sauce is one of the most famous sauces out there and is also known as an orange sauce. This is actually a condiment with a sour and sweet flavor along with an orange appearance. For the most part, the sauce looks like thin jelly. In American Chinese restaurants, duck sauce is served as a dip with spring rolls, wonton strips, egg rolls, fish, duck, and chicken. Also, it goes perfectly with noodles and rice.
Generally, duck sauce is available with single-serving packets (just like those small ketchup sachets), but it’s also available in big bottles. Duck sauce can be used as a glaze on poultry foods. Also, contrary to usual belief, this sauce cannot be used with duck meat. Duck sauce is made with peaches, apricots, plums, pineapples, along with ginger, sugar, chili pepper, and vinegar.
The duck sauce is widely used in Chinese cuisine. If you are intrigued about the name of this sauce, it’s because it was first served with Peking duck (this recipe is centuries old). When we talk about flavor, it’s more on the fruity side and can be found in every Chinese takeout order. In England, duck sauce is known to be a sweet, brown, and chunky sauce that’s available in their Chinese restaurants.
On the contrary, duck sauce is not used in San Francisco and San Diego (the west coast won’t even know about this sauce). Also, the sauce is not made with ducks, but it was served with Pekin duck, hence the name. In some cases, the duck sauce is also made with soybeans, but the American versions are made with apricots. The sauce can be easily spread on food items but can be served in bowls as a dip as well.
It’s safe to say that ingredients vary with where it’s made. To illustrate, the eastern seaboard version has a sour and sweet flavor with fruity hints. However, the England version is brown and chunky. To summarize, it’s safe to say that duck sauce is hard to find, but you are lucky if you are in New York.
Plum Sauce
Plum sauce is a mildly sour sauce, but it is famous for the sweet flavor. It is made from plums, but some people also make it with pineapples and apricots. The ingredients of plum sauce differ with the brand. As far as the appearance is concerned, the plum sauce looks much like duck sauce, but the plum sauce is more flavorful. This is because the plum sauce has artificial colorings and corn syrup.
When it comes down to the ingredients of plum sauce, it has salted plums, sugar, ginger, rice vinegar, chiles, and salted garlic. The plum sauce can be used as dipping for fried items, such as egg rolls and fried wontons. Moreover, it can be used with roasted duck. There are various brands available making plum sauce, and you can find all of them in Chinese grocery stores. Also, it’s available online.
When you open plum sauce, it must be refrigerated, and you need to use clean pots for taking out the sauce from the jar to ensure the prevention of contamination. Moreover, it can be stored in the refrigerator for months as long as you use clean utensils. For the most part, the plum sauce has a lightly tart and sweet flavor, but there is mild spiciness as well.
Plum sauce has a sticky yet smooth appearance which adds a perfect combination of sweet, spice, and tart to the dish. It’s safe to say that plum sauce has a light texture, even with a thick consistency. That being said, the sauce is easy to spread and bast. Generally, red plums are used for making the plum sauce (yes, that’s how the sauce has a dark purple color).
If you want to make the plum sauce on your own, you can even use golden plums for a lighter color. Some people also make the plum sauce with apricots, while some make a combination of plums and apricots. Lastly, the flavor of plum sauce can be enhanced by star anise and five-spice powder.