Chinese Ingredient Substitution Cheat Sheet
The single closest everyday substitute — and the exact ratio to use it at — for 52+ hard-to-find Chinese ingredients. Free to print and pin to the fridge, or embed on your own site. Tap any ingredient for the full guide with more swaps, comparisons, and per-dish advice.
Sauces & Pastes
| Ingredient | Best everyday substitute | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Oyster Sauce | Hoisin + soy sauce | 2 parts hoisin : 1 part soy sauce |
| Hoisin Sauce | Miso + honey + soy sauce | 2 tbsp miso + 1 tbsp honey + 1 tbsp soy + 1 tsp rice vinegar + pinch five-spice |
| Doubanjiang | Gochujang + white miso | 2 parts gochujang : 1 part white miso + a pinch of sugar |
| Black Bean Sauce | Fermented black beans + garlic + oil | 1 tbsp mashed beans + 1 clove garlic + 1 tsp oil ≈ 1 tbsp sauce |
| Fermented Black Beans | Black bean garlic sauce | ~1 tbsp sauce per 1 tbsp beans; reduce other salt |
| Sweet Bean Sauce | Hoisin sauce | 1:1 |
| Chu Hou Sauce | Hoisin + ground bean sauce | 2 parts hoisin : 1 part ground bean sauce + extra garlic |
| Char Siu Sauce | Homemade char siu marinade | Hoisin + soy + honey + Shaoxing + five-spice + garlic |
| Plum Sauce | Apricot jam + rice vinegar + ginger | 3 tbsp jam : 1 tbsp vinegar : pinch grated ginger |
| Sweet Chili Sauce | Honey + rice vinegar + chili flakes + garlic | 3 tbsp honey : 1 tbsp vinegar : ½ tsp flakes : 1 small clove |
| Chili Crisp | Chili oil + fried garlic + a pinch of sugar/salt | To taste |
| Chinese Chili Oil | Chili crisp (Lao Gan Ma, etc.) | 1:1, scooping oil + crunchy bits |
| Chili Garlic Sauce | Sambal oelek + extra garlic | 1:1, + minced garlic to taste |
| XO Sauce | Homemade XO-style sauce | Make a small batch |
| Chinese Sesame Paste | Tahini + toasted sesame oil | 1:1 tahini, + a few drops sesame oil |
| Fermented Tofu | White miso paste | Use about ⅔ the amount, to taste |
| Fish Sauce | Soy sauce | 1:1 (start with less and taste) |
| Gochujang | Doubanjiang + sugar | 1:1 paste + ½ tsp sugar per tbsp |
| Ya Cai (Preserved Mustard Greens) | Zha cai (preserved mustard stem) | 1:1, chopped fine |
Soy, Wine & Vinegar
| Ingredient | Best everyday substitute | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Light Soy Sauce | Regular/all-purpose soy sauce | 1:1 |
| Dark Soy Sauce | Light soy + molasses | 1 tbsp light/all-purpose soy + ¼ tsp molasses (per 1 tbsp dark soy) |
| Shaoxing Wine | Dry sherry | 1:1 |
| Mirin | Shaoxing wine + sugar | 1 tbsp wine + ½ tsp sugar = 1 tbsp mirin |
| Chinkiang Vinegar | Rice vinegar + soy + sugar | 1 tbsp rice vinegar + ½ tsp soy sauce + a pinch of sugar (per 1 tbsp black vinegar) |
| Rice Vinegar | Apple cider vinegar | 1:1 |
Aromatics, Spice & Oil
| Ingredient | Best everyday substitute | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh Ginger | Ginger paste (jarred) | 1:1 |
| Green Onions | Chives | 1:1 (for garnish) |
| Sichuan Peppercorn | Sichuan peppercorn oil | Use the oil to finish, a few drops to taste |
| Star Anise | Chinese five-spice powder | Use ½ the amount |
| Chinese Five-Spice | Homemade five-spice blend | Equal parts, ground |
| White Pepper | Black pepper | Use about ¾ the amount |
| Toasted Sesame Oil | Tahini + neutral oil | 1 tsp tahini whisked into 1 tbsp neutral oil |
Starches & Sweeteners
| Ingredient | Best everyday substitute | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Cornstarch | Arrowroot powder | 1:1 (for thickening) |
| Potato Starch | Cornstarch | 1:1 |
| Sweet Potato Starch | Potato starch | 1:1 |
| Tapioca Starch | Cornstarch | 1:1 |
| Rice Flour | Cornstarch | 1:1 (coatings & thickening) |
| Maltose | Honey | 1:1 |
| Rock Sugar | Granulated white sugar | 1:1 |
Vegetables & Fungi
| Ingredient | Best everyday substitute | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Bok Choy | Napa cabbage | 1:1 |
| Chinese Broccoli | Broccolini (baby broccoli) | 1:1 |
| Napa Cabbage | Savoy cabbage | 1:1 |
| Bean Sprouts | Shredded cabbage (green or napa) | 1:1 by volume |
| Bamboo Shoots | Hearts of palm | 1:1, sliced |
| Water Chestnut | Jicama | 1:1, peeled & diced |
| Wood Ear Mushroom | Fresh shiitake or cremini, sliced thin | Similar volume |
| Dried Shiitake Mushrooms | Fresh shiitake | About 2:1 by weight |
Dried Seafood & Specialty
| Ingredient | Best everyday substitute | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Dried Scallop | Dried shrimp | Use a similar small amount |
| Dried Shrimp | Dried scallop (conpoy) | Use a similar small amount |
| Chinese Sausage | Sweet cured sausage (e.g. sweet kielbasa) | 1:1 |
| Wheat Gluten (Seitan) | King oyster mushrooms | By weight |
| Wonton Wrappers | Dumpling / gyoza wrappers | 1:1 (trim square if needed) |
Chinese Ingredient Substitution Cheat Sheet · chowmi.com
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Is this Chinese substitution cheat sheet free to print?
Yes — it's completely free. Click “Print / Save as PDF” and your browser will produce a clean, one-page-style chart with no ads or navigation, ready to pin to the fridge or save as a PDF. You can also embed the live chart on your own site with the code near the bottom of the page.
Is there a Chinese ingredient with no good substitute?
A few. Sichuan peppercorn's numbing (má) tingle has no real replacement, and doubanjiang and Chinkiang black vinegar are worth buying rather than approximating. For those, the honest answer is to order the real thing — most keep for months. Everything else on this chart has a workable swap, listed with its ratio.
How accurate are these substitute ratios?
Each row shows the single closest everyday substitute and the ratio to use it at. They're starting points tested through a Chinese-cooking lens — click any ingredient for the full guide, which ranks several substitutes, explains what each one changes, and gives per-dish advice (a swap that works for a stir-fry may not work for a dipping sauce).
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