My diet:

Hoisin sauce

No E-numberSauces & dressingsOrigin: Plant
Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganYes
Gluten-freeDepends

Most brands thicken it with wheat starch or build it on soy sauce.

HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoNo

Close to half the weight of the jar is carbohydrate, and most of that is added sugar.

Low-FODMAPDepends

Soy sauce and molasses are both high FODMAP ingredients.

The short answer
Hoisin is a thick, sweet Chinese barbecue sauce, safe to eat but heavy on sugar and salt, and unsuitable for keto and for strict gluten-free or low-FODMAP diets. For the flavor without the jar, mix soy sauce with a little honey and star anise.
Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesSauces & dressings
Glycemic index—
Daily limitNot set
Also calledHoisin sauce, Hoisin

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Hoisin is a food and carries no E-number, so it is not an additive. It falls under the general rules for sauces, and any soy, wheat or sesame in it has to be declared as an allergen. Because it is sold as a ready-to-use condiment rather than as an ingredient, it goes through the same hygiene controls as any other sauce.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

A jar of hoisin is mostly soy sauce, sugar and molasses, with garlic, vinegar, star anise, cinnamon and a little sesame oil. The molasses and the star anise are what separate it from a generic barbecue sauce, and the texture is thick enough to glaze meat. It is sold ready to use, so the sugar and the salt are already fixed at the level the recipe chose, and close to half the weight of the jar is carbohydrate, most of it added sugar.

Where it comes from: Hoisin is a thick, sweet Chinese barbecue sauce built on fermented soybean paste, then sweetened with sugar or molasses and spiced with star anise, garlic and sesame oil. Recipes vary widely, and many Western bottles are adapted from the Yunnanese originals.

Why it’s in food

  • Glazing duck and roast pork
  • Stir-fry sauces
  • Noodle and rice dishes
  • Peking duck pancakes
  • Marinades and dips

Often found in

Peking duckChar siuFried rice noodlesSpring rollsRoast pork sandwichesStir-fried vegetables

Also listed as: Hoisin sauce, Hoisin, Hoisin seasoning sauce, Chinese barbecue sauce

Health & gut impact

Sugar in a tablespoonUnder study

Hoisin is one of the sweetest sauces in the aisle. A tablespoon carries roughly 4 to 5 grams of sugar, and a jar meant for dipping often goes into a single meal in two or three spoons.

USDA FoodData Central, hoisin sauce

SodiumUnder study

The soy sauce base makes it salty as well as sweet, and a tablespoon can hold 300 to 400 milligrams of sodium, a noticeable slice of a day's intake for a condiment people pour freely.

USDA FoodData Central, hoisin sauce

Wheat and glutenUnder study

Most Western bottles are thickened with wheat starch or built on a wheat-containing soy sauce, so they are not gluten-free. Tamari-style soy sauce and jars labelled gluten-free solve it without changing the recipe.

NHS, coeliac disease

Soy allergenUnder study

Soy is one of the ingredients that has to be named on the label in North America and Europe, which matters for anyone with a soy allergy rather than for someone simply cutting back on soy.

Health Canada, food allergies

What can I use instead?

Barbecue sauce

Ratio: Use a little more and add a spoonful of molasses or honey

Best for: A sweeter, thinner glaze on meat

Soy sauce

Ratio: Use twice the volume with a spoonful of honey

Best for: The salty backbone on its own

Teriyaki sauce

Ratio: Use slightly less, it is saltier

Best for: A glaze with more ginger in it

Related

More sauces & dressings:

Apple cider vinegarApple cider vinegar is a fermented apple product with no E-number, and one of the safest things on a label, so it fits every diet. It seasons and preserves rather than nourishes, so reach for it when you want acid without more salt or sugar.Generally safeBalsamic vinegarBalsamic vinegar is an aged grape vinegar with no E-number, and it is safe and fits every diet except low-FODMAP in larger amounts. It is one of the few vinegars carrying real sugar, so measure a tablespoon rather than pouring.Generally safeBarbecue sauceBarbecue sauce is a sweet, salty tomato sauce with molasses in it. It is safe, but a tablespoon carries 4 to 9 grams of sugar and 105 to 260 milligrams of sodium, which makes it one to skip on a low-sugar or low-salt list.Use in moderationKetchupKetchup is tomato, vinegar, sugar and salt, and it is safe, vegan and gluten-free. The catch is that a tablespoon carries about 4 grams of sugar and roughly 160 milligrams of sodium, so a bottle that gets used daily is worth measuring.Use in moderation

Common questions

Is hoisin sauce gluten-free?

Usually not. Most versions are built on a soy sauce that contains wheat or thickened with wheat starch, though gluten-free jars exist and are worth hunting down if coeliac disease or a wheat sensitivity is why you are asking.

What does hoisin sauce taste like?

Sweet and savoury at once, with the maltiness of molasses and the anise note of star anise, which is what separates it from a plain barbecue sauce. The colour is dark and the texture close to a jam.

Is hoisin sauce vegan?

Almost always, since it is built on fermented soy. Check the label for animal fat or a fish sauce base, which a few restaurants and specialist importers use in their own versions.

How much sugar is in a jar of hoisin?

Sugar and molasses are the first and second ingredients in most recipes, and a tablespoon carries around 4 to 5 grams of it. A jar is a condiment rather than a single serving, so the total depends on how much is used.

Is Hoisin sauce safe?

Use in moderation (74/100). Hoisin is a food and carries no E-number, so it is not an additive. It falls under the general rules for sauces, and any soy, wheat or sesame in it has to be declared as an allergen. Because it is sold as a ready-to-use condiment rather than as an ingredient, it goes through the same hygiene controls as any other sauce.

Is Hoisin sauce gluten-free?

Depends. Most brands thicken it with wheat starch or build it on soy sauce.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • USDA FoodData Central, hoisin sauce
  • NHS, coeliac disease
  • Health Canada, food allergies