"hoisin sauce" news and stories

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I've always been fond of articles that introduce an ingredient, give you a little background and then offer a simple way to experiment.

Yesterday, the Kansas City Info Zine had just that--a short piece about hoisin sauce with a recipe for "Shanghai chicken with walnuts." The piece gives a little info about hoisin--it's made primarily from fermented soybeans, garlic, wheat flour, sugar and star anise--and then a recipe. Apparently the recipe is a bit untraditional, as it uses a few tablespoons of hoisin as a stir-fry sauce rather than a condiment, as it's often used with Peking duck or moo shu. Still, it sounds like a decent way to start experimenting.