A Tested Recipe
Sweet and Sour Sauce (Tang Cu Zhi).
A classic Chinese sweet-and-sour sauce with an easy-to-remember balance of water, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and cooking wine. Stir it together in minutes, then simmer it with your dish until glossy.
By jackTao · Jul 17, 2026
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The Mise en Place
Ingredients
Adjust portions
Sauce Ingredients
- 50 ml water
- 40 ml light soy sauce
- 30 g white sugar
- 20 ml white vinegar or rice vinegar
- 10 ml Shaoxing wine or cooking wine
The Method
Instructions
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- Step 4
Mix the Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the water, light soy sauce, white sugar, vinegar, and cooking wine.
- Stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the sauce looks even.
- 01
Mix the Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the water, light soy sauce, white sugar, vinegar, and cooking wine.
- Stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the sauce looks even.
- 02
Add to the Dish
- Cook the main ingredients for your chosen sweet-and-sour dish according to that recipe.
- Pour the prepared sweet-and-sour sauce into the pan or wok.
- 03
Simmer
- Cook for 5-, adjusting the timing to match the main ingredients.
- Stir or toss occasionally so the sauce coats everything evenly.
- 04
Reduce and Gloss
- Increase to high heat near the end and reduce the sauce until it thickens slightly, smells fragrant, and turns glossy.
- Serve immediately while the sauce is bright and shiny.
Cook's Notes
Notes
This recipe makes one batch of sauce, enough for one small home-style sweet-and-sour dish.
Note Nº 01
Estimated calories: about 146 kcal for the full batch.
Note Nº 02
White vinegar gives a cleaner, sharper acidity, while rice vinegar tastes softer and rounder.
Note Nº 03
The final reduction time depends on the dish. Ingredients that release more water may need a little longer over high heat.
Note Nº 04
For a thicker restaurant-style glaze, add a small cornstarch slurry near the end, but the basic version works without it.
Note Nº 05
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