Sour, spicy or savory – and whether in the form of sauce, sambal or condiment – every chef has a favorite spice that adds a special touch to a dish.
Some people love the long, sweet flavor of chili oil, while others seek the sharp taste of strong mustard—the kind that “hits you between the eyes.” There’s a condiment so popular that a chef’s partner is sneaking it into movie theaters.
Whether store-bought or made at home, these are the favourite spices of 10 Australian chefs and cooks.
Dan Hong: Combo Tsuyu
Kombu tsuyu is a Japanese soy sauce blended with kombu and bonito, but sweeter and less salty than regular soy sauce. [Chef] Chase Kojima introduced me to the game, saying it was good in every way – and oh, he was right.
I use the Yamasa brand. It’s so versatile. It makes a base for noodles with shallot oil, marinades with vinegar and yuzu oil, and marinades for chicken stock or bone broth. It fixes mistakes—if you add too much water to instant noodles, the kombu tsuyu re-complicates the texture. My kids love it with rice plus sesame oil and seaweed. They call it “delicious rice.”
– Dan Hong is the host of The Streets Hong Kong, broadcast on SBS on Demand; and executive chef at Mr Wong, Queen Chow, The Establishment and Mumu in Sydney.
Karen Martini: Yuzu Kosho
I’m experimenting with making Yuzu Koshu, a Japanese paste made with equal parts yuzu peel and chili pepper plus 18% to 20% salt. The citrus oil makes this paste extremely aromatic and quite addictive. It all started during this fleeting moment when fresh yuzu was available in Melbourne; I made a version with yuzu, tangerine and red chili pepper, and have since made several variations using other citrus fruits.
It’s very strong, and is traditionally served in small amounts with fatty meats or sashimi. You can add it at the end of cooking. I’ve added it to roast duck, grilled seafood, and recently to cabbage stir-fried in bacon fat.
But for the store bought option, I absolutely love it. Japanese red yuzu kosho.
– Karen Martini is a cookbook author, TV presenter and Culinary Director at St George Restaurant in Melbourne.
Alejandro Huerta: Valentina’s Hot Sauce
In Mexico, Valentina hot sauce is everywhere. It’s hot and sour, and made with vinegar, garlic, and chili peppers. As a child, I would keep a little jar in my lunchbox to have with jicama or cucumbers. It’s on the table at every restaurant, and when you go to the movies, you have butter and Valentina sauce for your popcorn.
In Australia I go to the cinema every week and really miss that combination of flavours, so my wife carries a bottle of Valentina in her bag to put on her popcorn.
– Alejandro Huerta is the chef and co-owner of Sydney’s Commodore Wine Bar.
Stephanie Fehr: Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Hot Pepper Oil
Everyone has a good chili oil in their arsenal, but I love Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow because it’s not too spicy and goes with everything. The ingredients are simple: soybeans, garlic, chili peppers, sugar, sesame seeds, and MSG, which is the best. More versatile than versions that contain cumin, ginger, or extra heat, this oil is true to the essence of chili.
I had it with a hot pot yesterday, put it on pizza or in dumpling sauce, in sauces, it’s also good with burrata or anything creamy.
– Stephanie Fehr is a home cook and creator of the Lucky Dragon Supper Club on Instagram.
Neil Perry: Horseradish Cream
Whether it is in Margaret Or at home, I like to put horseradish cream on my steaks. It gives them a little heat and creaminess, which supports the flavor of the dry-aged steak. It goes with the flavor of the meat without being overpowering. I find things like barbecue sauce and mustard to be too dominant; horseradish has a nice, subtle flavor with a nice warmth.
To make the sauce, grate fresh horseradish and mix with mayonnaise and whipped cream. Although the cream has a nice heat effect, the fat molecules also carry the flavor, so the horseradish is amplified.
– Neil Perry is the chef and owner of Margaret’s Restaurant in Sydney.
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George Woodyard: Sambal Olick
Bart Junior’s flavor profile isn’t Southeast Asian, but sambal oelek is the sauce we use most often. It’s an Indonesian chili paste with a tangy, fermented flavor. The menu changes every month, but the main dishes—anchovy bread and bloody mary butter with focaccia bread—all feature sambal oelek.
We combine Castle Sambal Oleic Hot Pepper Paste Using our fermented chili peppers to create this beautiful orange mixture glowing with vinegar and smoke flavors. At home, I use Bloody Mary Butter on grilled seafood: shrimp, squid, fish or a tablespoon on chili or oysters.
– George Woodyard is the chef and co-owner of Bart Jr, a wine and cocktail bar in Sydney.
Great: Balsamic Vinegar
In the Filipino pantry, you have many types of vinegar—coconut vinegar, sugarcane vinegar, white vinegar, and then regional vinegar—but one of my favorites is balsamic vinegar. It has to be Modena, of course; even the Mazzetti brand I get at a supermarket is delicious. The sweet flavor profile makes it more versatile. For example, if you’re making susawan (a Filipino vinegar dipping sauce for meat), the basic ingredients are vinegar, soybeans, and sugar, but balsamic vinegar already has a sweet and sour flavor.
I eat susuwan with grilled or charbroiled pork, and charbroiled chicken. The acidity cuts through the fat, and the balsamic vinegar adds a sweetness that balances the meat’s saltiness.
– Will Mahosai is the chef and owner of Filipino restaurants Sydney Cebu Lechon and Mesa in Sydney.
Has Rashid: Hot Sauce
I love putting chili oil on my food, but my favorite condiment is hot sauce. I think it’s underrated. It has a wonderful acidity and heat that chili oil doesn’t have. I have it on oysters, sardines, sandwiches, and it breaks up the richness of buttery eggs.
My favorite dish at home is toast with sardines. I dip a piece of sourdough bread in heaps of butter, add sardines and hot sauce.
In our cafes there is a bottle of The Fermentalists Daily Hot Red Sauce At each table, we also prepare our own dishes using vinegar, brown onions, chili peppers and butter, which is important for a velvety texture.
– Hos Rashid is the co-owner of Self-Raised Bread Shoppe, a sandwich shop and bakery in Sydney.
Oh Tama Carrie: Paul Sambol
Our fridge is full of spices, and that’s pretty much all we have. Aside from chili oil, pol sambol is my favorite.
It’s a fresh condiment made with freshly grated coconut, Maldivian fish, chilies, paprika, lots of black pepper and lemon juice. If you look beyond the ingredients specific to Sri Lanka and think about the flavour profile, it’s very balanced. It has the heat, the smoky flavour of the Maldivian fish, the sweetness of the coconut and the tartness of the lemon. It’s very adaptable.
We eat Pol Sambol as a side dish with most Sri Lankan dishes, but it is also delicious with boiled eggs on toast or cheese on toast. It goes well with a delicious piece of grilled fish, or you can make a rocket salad and dress it with Pol Sambol and olive oil.
– Tama Curry is the chef and owner of Sri Lankan restaurant Lankan Filling Station in Sydney.
James Partington: Strong English Mustard
I love strong English mustard that hits you between the eyes. The moment you lift your lid, you feel a hit on the back of your nose. As a child, I used to watch my parents scoop it out of the mysterious yellow Colman’s jar in the fridge, but I didn’t develop a taste for it until I was older. I had it for the first time in a ham sandwich and it hit me right away. It’s lovely with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.
I grew up in a farming village in Yorkshire. All the fields around me were full of yellow mustard seed flowers. I don’t eat English mustard every day, but when I do, it transports me there.
– James Partington, owner of Staple Bread & Necessities in Sydney.
