Hoisin Sauce

This thick, chocolate-brown, sweetened sauce is made from cooked soybeans, garlic, sugar, and chiles. Some brands add a little vinegar to the mix, others thicken it with flour. Too often, this sauce—famous as an accompaniment to Peking duck—is called plum sauce, which it is not. Hoisin comes in jars and large cans. If jarred, it should be refrigerated once you have opened it. If bought in a can, transfer it to a jar after opening and refrigerate. It will keep for up to 3 months.