Oyster sauce is a staple of many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese. The thick brown sauce provides “umami” flavor — a meaty, savory taste — to dishes like beef and broccoli, noodle stir-fries, and Asian vegetable dressings. But if you have a shellfish allergy, you may wonder if you’re able to safely eat foods that contain oyster sauce.

What Are Oysters, and Does Oyster Sauce Contain Them?

Oysters are a kind of shellfish. However, some people with shellfish allergies can safely eat oysters. That’s because there are different types of shellfish: crustaceans and mollusks. Some people are only allergic to crustaceans, which include shrimp, crayfish, crab, and lobster, but not to mollusks, which include clams, scallops, and mussels, as well as oysters. If you’ve ever had a reaction from eating one type of shellfish, speak with your allergist or another health care provider before trying others.

All regular oyster sauce does contain some form of oyster. The sauce was originally made by boiling down pots full of oysters, although many brands now use oyster extract combined with other ingredients, such as salt and sugar. Regardless of the cooking method, if you have a shellfish allergy and don’t know for sure that oysters don’t affect you, you’ll need to stay away from oyster sauce.

Avoiding Oyster Sauce at Restaurants

If you have a shellfish allergy, you know to skip the oyster bar at a seafood restaurant. However, it can be easy to unknowingly eat food containing oyster sauce when you’re dining out. If you enjoy a cuisine that’s heavy on the oyster sauce, such as Chinese, don’t be afraid to speak with the restaurant staff and explain your allergy. The server should be able to direct you to safe options on the menu or check with the kitchen staff for clarification.

Chain restaurants can also be a good resource because they’re more likely to note allergens on their menus. For example, P.F. Chang’s, an international Asian restaurant chain, lists the common allergens, including shellfish, in each of their menu offerings.

If you have food allergies, whenever you visit a restaurant, bring your allergy treatments with you, whether that’s an over-the-counter antihistamine or an epinephrine auto-injector in case of life-threatening anaphylaxis.

Choosing Substitutes for Oyster Sauce

If you’d like to prepare a recipe that has oyster sauce on the ingredient list, don’t despair. Vegetarian and vegan oyster sauce substitutes provide oyster sauce flavor without actual oysters, usually by using a combination of soy sauce or tamari and shiitake and oyster mushrooms, along with salt and sugar. If you have other allergies, such as gluten, be sure to check the labels carefully.

In addition, a variety of other sauces can provide flavor without triggering shellfish allergies. Soy sauce, fish sauce (as long as it contains only fin fish), hoisin sauce, teriyaki sauce, mushroom sauce, black bean paste, and even Worcestershire sauce can safely provide a hit of umami. If you’re using a thinner ingredient, such as soy sauce or mushroom broth, add some sugar and cornstarch to make the taste and texture closer to that of oyster sauce. For a thicker but sweet sauce like hoisin, add salt and combine with mushroom broth to match the flavor of oyster sauce.

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What are your best strategies for avoiding food allergens like oyster sauce? Have you found a good substitute for oyster sauce in your cooking? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.