The Straight Dope

Go Back   Straight Dope Message Board > Main > Cafe Society

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 07-21-2007, 05:22 AM
MerryMagdalen MerryMagdalen is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Duck Sauce

I was just reminded of this condiment while watching TV.

I remember getting it in Chinese food on the east coast of the US, but I have never seen packets labelled "Duck Sauce" in Seattle, where there is lots and lots of various Asian food.

Do they serve "Duck Sauce" where you live?
Reply With Quote
Advertisements  
  #2  
Old 07-21-2007, 05:25 AM
Kamino Neko Kamino Neko is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Nope...it's just called Plum Sauce here.

[Edit - to be clear - yes, we use it, no, we don't call it Duck Sauce...it's Plum Sauce.]

Last edited by Kamino Neko; 07-21-2007 at 05:26 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 07-21-2007, 05:30 AM
MerryMagdalen MerryMagdalen is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
I've never seen Plum Sauce either, that I remember. Hoisin Sauce (purple) we have, but not Plum/Duck Sauce.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 07-21-2007, 12:16 PM
panache45 panache45 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: NE Ohio (the 'burbs)
Posts: 19,449
I love the way people answer questions like this without telling us where they are.

Here in suburban Cleveland, I can get duck sauce, plum sauce and hoisin sauce, and others as well.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 07-21-2007, 12:22 PM
Zjestika Zjestika is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
I've never seen Duck sauce or Plum sauce in Minnesota or Illinois. All I ever get with my Chinese takeout is Sweet and Sour sauce.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 07-21-2007, 12:35 PM
Zeldar Zeldar is online now
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Yes. I've seen those little packets at Thai and Chinese places in Nashville. Kroger also has bottles of it in the Oriental section of spices and condiments. The hot mustard packets are often in the same little rack in the restaurants and fast food places. And when we order for delivery from several such places there will be packets of Duck Sauce, Soy Sauce, Hot Mustard and Sweet and Sour Sauce tossed in the bag.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 07-21-2007, 01:08 PM
Ephemera Ephemera is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
It's all duck sauce in Chinese restaraunts in the Chattanooga area and it's one of three sauces offered at the "Japanese" teppenyaki place at our food court at work. Soy sauce and hot mustard being the other two.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 07-21-2007, 02:17 PM
Darryl Lict Darryl Lict is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
OK, I had never heard of duck sauce before, but I assumed that duck sauce could be hoisin sauce because that is what they serve on Peking duck with the pancakes. According to Wiki, plum sauce (made from plums and kind of translucent orange) was mistakenly served with Peking Duck in America, earning the sobriquet duck sauce.

In my own case, it was exactly the opposite. When I first had Moo Shoo Pork, the people I was with called the condiment plum sauce, when it was in fact hoisin sauce. It was several years until I figured out the truth. By the way, hoisin sauce is actually made from soy beans.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 07-21-2007, 03:39 PM
SiouxChief SiouxChief is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: West Chester, OH
Posts: 474
Most of the chinese restaurants I frequent here in Cincinnati do have Duck Sauce. Here, it's also known as Apricot Sauce. I've never heard of Plum Sauce.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 07-21-2007, 03:55 PM
gonzomax gonzomax is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: michigan
Posts: 26,307
Wabbit sauce
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 07-21-2007, 04:30 PM
Fish Fish is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Duck sauce!
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 07-21-2007, 05:11 PM
Bob Ducca Bob Ducca is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
The Chinese restaurant we order from in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago always sends along a couple of packets of Duck Sauce. I've never actually tried it though.

In case you're interested, the restaurant is China Dragon and their food is pretty amazing.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 07-21-2007, 06:57 PM
Lama Pacos Lama Pacos is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Boston area here; duck sauce is a staple of any Chinese restaurant. However, most restaurants here have a thinner, much tastier version than the kind that comes in packets.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 07-21-2007, 11:27 PM
Hey, It's That Guy! Hey, It's That Guy! is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Duck sauce (translucent orange) packets are common at Chinese restaurants throughout Florida, as well as soy sauce, hot mustard, and the occasional hot sauce. I personally love mixing a bit of duck sauce into my house special fried rice.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 07-21-2007, 11:58 PM
Least Original User Name Ever Least Original User Name Ever is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fish
Duck sauce!
I said it's wabbit sauce. You know what to do with that blender, Doc.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 07-22-2007, 05:08 AM
MerryMagdalen MerryMagdalen is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
So it does seem as though "Duck Sauce" is an East Coast/east of the Miss. phenomenon.

Around here, the sauces are much less mixed. There's not even soy sauce at Thai restaurants here, unless you ask. (Which you shouldn't, because soy is Chinese/Japanese.)

I'm not an expert, by any means, but it seems that since there are more Asian restaurants here, they can afford to diversify.
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 07-22-2007, 07:41 AM
chowder chowder is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
The Marx Bros made a film, it was called....Duck S...........

Oh Forget it
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 07-22-2007, 07:48 AM
Ponder Stibbons Ponder Stibbons is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
I've seen duck sauce in restaurants in both Oklahoma City and Dallas. I've never seen it called "plum sauce". If I hadn't read this thread and was asked about plum sauce, I'd wonder if maybe you meant hoisin, which for some reason tastes plum-y to me, even though it doesn't have plum in it.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:41 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

Send questions for Cecil Adams to: cecil@chicagoreader.com

Send comments about this website to: webmaster@straightdope.com

Terms of Use / Privacy Policy

Advertise on the Straight Dope!
(Your direct line to thousands of the smartest, hippest people on the planet, plus a few total dipsticks.)

Publishers - interested in subscribing to the Straight Dope?
Write to: sdsubscriptions@chicagoreader.com.

Copyright © 2013 Sun-Times Media, LLC.